At Greater Iowa City, Inc., we meet with stakeholders in a variety of formats to ensure we stay grounded in what matters and identify opportunities for growth. Industry Circles are one way we connect with businesses. They help us understand where our economy is strong and where it is going next. But strategy only matters if it connects to what businesses are experiencing every day.
Currently, Greater IC hosts a Restaurant Circle, an HR Circle, a Solar Industry Circle, and is set to build a new Advanced Manufacturing Circle.
What Are Industry Circles?
Industry Circles are one of the most practical ways we stay connected to local employers. We bring together business leaders and partners from a specific sector to share insight and shape action.
Across all circles, the purpose is consistent:
- Create space for peer connection
- Surface real-time challenges
- Identify shared opportunities
- Inform where Greater IC focuses its work
What we hear in these conversations directly shapes our priorities, partnerships, and programs.
How to Get Involved
Industry Circles are open and designed to be useful. The more perspectives in the room, the better the outcomes.
You should consider joining if you are:
- A business owner or operator
- A manager or industry leader
- A partner connected to one of these sectors
Ways to engage:
- Join a quarterly Industry Circle by emailing the staff contact.
- Bring a challenge or idea to the table
- Invite others in your industry to participate
- Help shape next steps that come out of discussions
Focus: Restaurant Circle
Greater IC hosted a kick-off in January, 2026 and will host a second, all-access opportunity June 18, 2026 at 2pm. For more information on the restaurant circle, email Jordan@greateriowacity.com.
The Restaurant Circle provides one of the strongest examples of how Industry Circles can work. Restaurants are essential to our region. They drive activity, create jobs, and help define the experience of the region. They can even be landmarks. At the same time, operators are navigating tight margins, rising costs, workforce challenges, and changing customer habits.
The Restaurant Circle gives operators a space to talk through those realities together.
Topics may include:
- Staffing and retention
- Cost pressures and operations challenges
- Customer trends and opportunities
- Marketing and visibility
- Opportunities to collaborate
These are practical conversations that lead to real insight and stronger connections across the industry. They also allow those managing these organizations an opportunity to seek support from others who “get it.”
Other Industry Circles in Motion
We continue to support Industry Circles across a range of sectors where connection and alignment matter.
Solar Industry
For more information on the Solar Industry circle, email Tom@greateriowacity.com
Our Solar Industry Circle brings together companies and individuals working in and around solar renewable energy. Conversations focus on market growth, policy considerations, workforce needs and how to support continued expansion of this fast-moving sector, primarily focused only on distributed solar.
Human Resources (HR)
For more information on the Human Resources circle, email Evan@greateriowacity.com
The HR Circle connects professionals across industries who are dealing with many of the same workforce challenges. This group focuses on recruitment, retention, workplace culture and sharing practical tools that help organizations adapt. Previous circles have concentrated on relocation and leadership programs.
Emerging: Advanced Manufacturing
Advanced Manufacturing is our next area of focus. This circle will bring together employers to talk through workforce, supply chain, innovation, and growth opportunities in one of our core industries. Like the others, it will meet quarterly and help shape how we support this sector moving forward.
For more information about the emerging Advanced Manufacturing circle and to help us get this off the ground, please email cady@greateriowacity.com.
Looking Ahead
We will continue building out Industry Circles across the region.
Each industry may look a little different, but the goal is the same. Stay connected, stay relevant, and turn conversation into action. Strong economies are built on strong relationships. Industry Circles are one way we make that happen.
