JPMorganChase marks latest milestone in Iowa expansion with new Ames branch and philanthropic support for small businesses

JPMorganChase announced more than $1 million in philanthropic commitments to support entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state of Iowa. The company made the announcement at the ribbon cutting celebrating the opening of Chase’s first branch in Ames, Iowa.

The philanthropic funding will help bolster Iowa’s economy by supporting small businesses, from family-owned farms to enterprises in the state’s growing aerospace industry, and includes:

• The Iowa Center, $250,000 to strengthen Iowa’s rural and micropolitan communities, by expanding capital access and expert support for small businesses outside the major metropolitan centers. The organization serves small business owners with business coaching, credit and lending, and tax services.
• The Iowa Center for Employee Ownership (IA-CEO), $250,000 to help businesses continue to operate and grow after owners retire, by advancing employee ownership as a strategy for preserving local businesses and building wealth. IA-CEO serves as a statewide resource, offering education and hands-on support to guide business owners, employees, and communities through the transition to employee ownership.
• The New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative, Inc. (NewBoCo), $250,000, to help connect small businesses with growth opportunities in the state’s aerospace industry, by guiding entrepreneurs from research to market smoothly and building stronger business support ecosystems. The Cedar Rapids-based nonprofit aims to establish Iowa as a hub for aviation technology innovation, development and testing.
• The American Flood Coalition, $250,000, to help family-owned farms protect their communities from flooding through multi-cropping, a regenerative agriculture practice that enhances soil health, promotes crop diversity, and reduces flooding downstream. AFC will continue researching the barriers farmers face when adopting this practice and building a network of farmers to increase peer-to-peer learning throughout the state. The bipartisan, member-driven coalition works at all levels of government to scale innovative solutions to the country’s toughest flood adaptation challenges.

Additionally, JPMorganChase provided philanthropic support in 2025 to: 6th Avenue Corridor (6AC), to back incubator programming for small businesses; Dream City, to provide technical assistance to small businesses in Iowa City; the Evelyn K. Davis Center for small business coaching; and the Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit, for small business conferences in Des Moines and the Quad Cities.

“From Council Bluffs to Des Moines to Iowa City and now Ames, we’re following through on our commitment to serve Iowans and drive a stronger economy across the state,” said Tim Berry, Global Head of Corporate Responsibility at JPMorganChase, who was in Ames for the announcement. “We are proud to partner with organizations that share our goal of providing Iowa’s entrepreneurs and small business owners with the capital and expertise they need to succeed not just today, but for years to come.”

Berry made the announcement at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for JPMorganChase’s newest branch in Iowa, at 435 S. Duff Ave. in Ames, just 2.5 miles from the Iowa State campus. Ames Mayor John Haila, Ames Chamber of Commerce executives, and other local officials attended the event.

The branch is the 10th to open in Iowa and the latest in the bank’s larger plan to expand access to banking services for Iowans by putting more than half of the state’s population within an accessible drive time to a Chase branch.

The 3,500 sq. ft. Ames branch looks and feels different from a “typical” bank – it combines a modern design, layout, and state-of-the-art banking technology, reflecting how customers engage with Chase today. Employees welcome customers in casual meeting spaces, emphasizing a more consultative approach, and offer self-service transaction areas including two ATMs, and free WiFi. The branch offers a full suite of banking, lending and wealth management services, staffed by a locally hired team of bankers and specialists dedicated to supporting the financial health of individuals, small business owners, and families.

“With this new branch, we’re connecting more Iowans to the banking and financial services they need to save, spend, borrow and plan,” said Majda Hadzic, Market Director for Chase in Iowa. “We’re especially proud to work with both for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the state to help more farmers, entrepreneurs and other small businesses reach their potential – creating jobs, building wealth and strengthening our communities along the way.”

JPMorganChase in Iowa

JPMorganChase has supported economic opportunity and provided banking and financial services to consumers and businesses across Iowa since 1985. This includes:

• Serving more than 20,000 small business customers across the state and providing 35,000 hours of support to small businesses and customers
• Supporting 230 medium and large clients in industries including utilities, technology, media and telecommunications
• Supporting vital institutions, including local governments, higher education, nonprofit organizations, healthcare institutions and more than 10 of Iowa’s local financial institutions
• Investing in renovations of local historic buildings and financed the development and rehabilitation of affordable housing units

About JPMorganChase

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America (“U.S.”), with operations worldwide. JPMorganChase had $4.4 trillion in assets and $362 billion in stockholders’ equity as of December 31, 2025. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management. Under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands, the Firm serves millions of customers in the U.S., and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients globally. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.

Philanthropic Partner Quotes

The Iowa Center

“The Iowa Center and JPMorganChase have a shared commitment to advancing a thriving small business economy for Iowa. The Iowa Center team works every day to ensure that all Iowans have access to the education, capital, and professional networks they need to launch, manage, grow and finance a small business, no matter where they live,” said Erin Strawn, president and CEO of The Iowa Center.  “We are increasingly recognizing the need for dedicated outreach and service to support Rural and Micropolitan Iowa where small businesses are critical to the culture and identity of the community. With support from JPMorganChase, The Iowa Center will promote job growth and economic vitality in these communities by expanding access to our small business coaching, lending and tax services.”

New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative, Inc. (NewBoCo)

“NewBoCo is thrilled to have received support from JPMorganChase to support early planning and development efforts as part of a large, regional endeavor to grow Iowa’s economy, industry-specific workforce capacity and capability, and entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Jill Wilkins, NewBoCo’s executive director. “NewBoCo's goal is to help position our region as a global powerhouse in the aerospace industry through collaborative efforts that will fill current and projected workforce gaps, support educational programming and workforce development initiatives that address specific industry needs, and increase accessibility to related career paths for more students.”

Iowa Center for Employee Ownership

“JPMorganChase’s support strengthens IA-CEO’s ability to equip Iowa business owners and their teams with the education and tools they need for successful ownership transitions, helping sustain local jobs and expand pathways to generational wealth for employees, families, and communities across the state,” said Stacy Mullinex, senior project manager. “Through JPMorganChase’s support, IA-CEO can continue to expand education and technical assistance that helps Iowa businesses transition ownership in ways that drive long-term economic vitality and ensure communities continue to thrive."

American Flood Coalition

“Farmers are looking for solutions that strengthen their operations and protect their land and their communities,” said Melissa Roberts, executive director of the American Flood Coalition. “Our work in Iowa shows that flood-smart practices like multi-cropping can reduce flood risk across a watershed, improve soil health, and support long-term farm viability. With support from JPMorganChase, we’re able to build on our proven pilots and help scale approaches that work for producers and communities.”