Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit, fair trade store in Iowa City, will hold an event early next month aimed at financially empowering Pakistani women.
The shop's third annual
Fair Trade Oriental Rug Event, set for Oct. 2-6 at Iowa River Landing, will assist women in rural villages with few employment opportunities to earn a living.
Approximately 300 rugs, each handmade in Pakistani homes by fairly-paid adult artisans, will be available for sale in a variety of designs and sizes.
"When you purchase a rug through Ten Thousand Villages, you not only invest in a beautiful piece of functional art, but you are also supporting lives, culture and education in Pakistan," said Cassidy Bell, executive director of Ten Thousand Villages.
An Introduction to Oriental Rug seminar will be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 3 at the event space,
920 E. Second Ave., Suite 100. The seminar will explain how knotting rugs is changing the lives of women and their families in Pakistan in addition to what makes a quality Oriental rug. The seminar is free and open to the public.
The Fair Trade Rug Event is a partnership between Ten Thousand Villages and Bunyaad, a fair trade artisan group in Pakistan. Bunyaad means "foundation" in Urdu and provides a foundation for women by paying them a living wage to knot heirloom quality rugs on looms set within their homes. Women can work on the looms around their other household chores, like caring for children, preparing meals and tending their home, giving them year-round stable employment they have control over.
Khalida, a rug knotter living in the village of Halwan, expresses her creativity through the rugs that she produces, choosing the design and colors of each rug she works on.
"These rugs are a reflection of my culture and my people. They are my art and my livelihood," she said in a release.
"This job has changed the course of my life and my family's. I feel respected for my work and with the wage I receive, I am able to plan for the future."
NewBo City Market kicked off its inaugural Oktoberfest last weekend. Now the party rolls on in Iowa City with the 24th annual Northside Oktoberfest/Iowa City BrewFest set for noon-3 p.m. Oct. 5 in the Northside Marketplace.
The Northside Oktoberfest showcases the Bohemian nature of Iowa City's Northside Neighborhood through craft beer and local food.
"The Northside Oktoberfest has been a longstanding tradition here in Iowa City," said Christopher Hunter, of the Iowa City Downtown District, in a release. "It brings thousands of community members to the Northside Marketplace and benefits local area nonprofits while supporting the Northside businesses."
This year, Mr. Hunter said 22 volunteer groups will receive a donation for their help with the festival. Sponsored by Fly CID - The Eastern Iowa Airport, John's Grocery, Little Village, Pagliai's Pizza, and Phelan Tucker Law LLP, the event is free to the public.
In addition to the festival, attendees can watch the Iowa Hawkeye football game against the Michigan Wolverines on a big screen TV. The event features live musical entertainment, including a traditional Oktoberfest polka band along with traditional seasonal games like Hammer-schlagen, masskrugstemmen, beer slide and keg bowling. Attendees are encouraged to wear their authentic lederhosen outfits to win "best dressed" or come hungry and win the title of 2019 Northside Oktoberfest Brat Eating Champion.
Those with a ticket and official glass will be allowed to sample beers, ciders, and wines from over 60 booths.
Exclusive BrewMaster tickets sold out earlier this summer, though general admission tickets remain available. Tickets can be purchased online or in-person at John's Grocery.
Younger visitors can take part in Sodafest Fall crafts, a rock-climbing wall, live entertainment and other family activities will be available in the Pagliai's parking lot on North Linn Street.
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) has been awarded a competitive $200,000 State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant to boost the number of small businesses that are exporting and increase the value of those exports.
"This grant will not only enhance the current activities of our International Trade Office, but also provide Iowa companies with the resources necessary to elevate their global presence," said Debi Durham, director of the IEDA and Iowa Finance Authority, in a release. "Exports are critical to Iowa's businesses and it's more important than ever that we help our business owners navigate international regulations and trends to be successful."
STEP is administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of International Trade and provides grants to states for small business exporting assistance programs.
IEDA's International Trade Office administers financial assistance programs that are funded through state dollars and the federal STEP grant. Funds are disbursed through several programs to help eligible Iowa companies develop or expand their export markets:
Market Trade Assistance Program (MTAP) - Offers financial assistance for certain market compliance and export marketing expenses to enter or expand into an identified market.
Domestic Trade Assistance Program (DTAP) - Provides assistance for exhibiting at qualifying international trade shows held in the U.S. to explore or expand international markets.
Export Trade Assistance Program (ETAP) - Offers financial assistance for participating in international trade shows or trade missions.
ExporTech Trade Assistance Program (ETech) - Provides reimbursement for participation in the Center for Industrial Research and Service-sponsored ExporTech training program.
Two of those programs are already helping one Corridor company.
"We are a small business competing on a global scale," said Ryan Murphy, vice president of sales and marketing development at Marion Process Solutions. "DTAP and ETAP grants expand our marketing budget, helping to offset the costs of exhibiting at trade shows in order to promote our products to an international market. In fact, the funding enabled us to participate in the first foreign trade show in our company's history."
In this week's consulting spotlight, Betsy McCloskey of Plaid Swan Inc. discusses how social media has transformed the PR industry - and how make it work for you.
The field of public relations has seen dramatic shifts over the past 10 years with the rise of digital - and specifically, social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube have changed the way people get news, hear about products and interact with companies, and they've transformed the industry for PR professionals.
We now have access to a much wider audience without the barriers of the past. It has also given us a great listening tool that provides a robust way to do research, follow trends, and observe and join in on conversations.
There are a few key ways PR professionals should be utilizing social media, beyond just distributing press releases. It is critical that they adapt to the idea of "social PR." Here are three social strategies to consider:
Gain influence
With the rise of social media, the everyday mom or teenager now has access to platforms with millions of people. With the right content and strategy, these "average folks" can now become "influencers," based on the number of followers they have.
From a 15-year old gamer with millions of subscribers on YouTube to a health food enthusiast with 500K followers on Instagram, influencers are one of the best ways to get brand exposure with a targeted audience. Instagram and YouTube, specifically, have become massive platforms for these self-made PR professionals.
The best influencers create their own original content and aren't looking to do blatant advertisements - but they also know how to incorporate brands and products that align with their niche in a way that is authentic and resonates with followers. Influencers not only reach a very specific audience, but can help create trust and drive engagement with that audience.
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Corridor Stocks
Short-Term Event Planner
Sept. 26
Cedar Rapids Tech Crawl, by Technology Association of Iowa, 5-8:30 p.m. Meet with tech leaders, startup founders and young professionals as you tour different tech spaces in Cedar Rapids. Tickets: $5-$10. For more information, visit
bit.ly/2NtB6t7.
Oct. 1
New Member Mixer, by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 8-9 a.m., New Pioneer Food Co-op, 3338 Center Point Road NE, Cedar Rapids. Meet and mingle with new members of the Economic Alliance. Free, no registration required. For more information, visit
bit.ly/30PceQ4.
Oct. 2
1 Million Cups, by 1MC Cedar Rapids, 8:15-9:15 a.m., Geonetric, 415 12th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. Join for community connections, free coffee and presentations by entrepreneurs, established companies, experts and more. Free. For more information, visit
facebook.com/1MCICR.
1 Million Cups, by 1MC Iowa City, 9-10 a.m., MERGE, 136 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. Join for community connections, free coffee and presentations by entrepreneurs, established companies, experts and more. Free. For more information, visit
facebook.com/1MillionCupsIC/.
Oct. 3
Wake Up Marion, by Marion Chamber of Commerce, 8-9 a.m., Farmers State Bank, 1240 Eighth Ave., Marion. Get to know the team at Farmers State Bank while enjoying conversations with other Marion chamber members. Free. To register, visit
bit.ly/341F9CF.
Clean Laundry Ribbon Cutting, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, 4-5 p.m., Clean Laundry, 362 Highway 1 West, Iowa City. Free. For information, visit
bit.ly/2kfCIKR.
Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
With Democrats in the U.S. House moving forward with an impeachment inquiry, former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach has a perspective on the process few have. He has cast a vote on articles of impeachment. In 1999, the Republican Representative voted in favor of some counts against President Bill Clinton and against others. Ultimately, President Clinton was not convicted during a trial in the Senate. Now, Mr. Leach says both sides have a legitimate argument to make moving forward. But he also stresses that the president doesn't have to commit a crime to be impeached.
"Virtually all criminal laws have very defined definitions, this political circumstance does not." Mr. Leach said. "Whether it is an impeachable offense, only Congress can define." Read the full story here.
An investigation is underway after a threat was found written in a bathroom stall at Washington High School in Washington County.
According to a Facebook post from the Washington Community School District, the threat was discovered Tuesday afternoon. It included a threat to students and staff at Washington High School. The post goes on to say that police will be in the building Wednesday and at least through the rest of the week. Washington Community School District Superintendent Willie Stone signed off on the message saying, "I struggle because I don't want to incite panic, but at the same time as a parent, I would want to know about it and that the school is aggressively dealing with it."
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28
CBS2 Weather First Forecast
We'll continue to have ups and downs in the temperatures and periodic showers and storms. Heavy rain will be likely as we head into next week.
The weather will be nice and fresh today as temperatures climb into the upper 60s to low 70s. We'll have high pressure in overhead and that will lead to a sunny day. That high pressure system will pull away tonight and moisture will move back in. As a cold front approaches, there will be scattered showers and thunderstorms developing after midnight. Showers and thunderstorms will continue through much of the day Friday. Clouds and the rain will hold temperatures down around 70 degrees. Rain will wind down around 6-8 p.m. from north to south which may lead to some delays of high school football games.
Ten Thousand Villages event raises funds for Pakistani women
