Four area businesses were the first 73 businesses in Iowa to graduate from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program.

The businesses included Ben Pingel; Pingel Farm, Brian Pedersen; Blue Ribbon Pelhams Water, Todd McCubbin; Shiny Top Brewing and Cheryl O’Hern; Spin Markket.

The graduation on Aug. 9 included a round table session with Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and Tyra Banks.

The actual graduation was held in the new Youth Center at the Iowa State Fair and included procession by the Iowa State Pep Band, speeches by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Alumni Jenny Steffensmeier of Steffensmeier Welding & Manufacturing, and Alumni member Marji Guyler-Alaniz from FarmHer.

Diplomas were handed out while Robert Denson, DMACC President announced each graduate individually. Reynolds and David Solomon shook hands with all the graduates as they walked across the stage.