When Tobi Parks opened a 250-capacity music venue in Des Moines’ Drake neighborhood in 2019, she was enacting her plan B.
“I think it always goes back to this idea: I was a musician [and] when I first started it was always like, yeah, you can be a musician but always have a plan B, and you’ll probably end up living that plan B. Case in point, I am a musician turned lawyer,” she said. “We need to create a pathway for artists to be able to have their art be their plan A and be able to stick with it and make it viable.”
Parks isn’t all talk. Last month, her venue xBk Live launched the Creative Entrepreneurship Program (C.E.P.), which offers a “blend of workshops, mentorship and networking opportunities led by industry experts and successful entrepreneurs. Participants will learn key business skills including marketing, financial management, and strategic planning, all tailored specifically for creative industries,” according to xBk’s website.
“We’re primarily focused on musicians and music-related performers … on the artist who wants to make a new album or wants to make a career as a musician.”
Parks is the mastermind behind the 12-week program, in which each class is a stepping stone to creating a cohesive business plan. The idea is to give musicians and creative individuals an actionable plan to carry out.
“I’ve done a lot of work with U.S. Banks and the Iowa Center for Economic Success—a local corporate finance group that does small business lending, primarily helping small businesses and minority business owners … I wanted to do a collaboration with them highlighting small businesses in the Midwest,” Parks said.
“For artists to be artists we need them to think that [what] they’re [doing is] art, but also a little business. It’s important to give them the training and access to capital in the same ways that other small businesses [need] to thrive … They really liked the idea and to do a micro lending program facilitated through the Iowa Center and xBk will be host to the entrepreneurship classes.”
And so, the program was born. xBk partnered with the Iowa Center of Economic Success and U.S. Bank to offer a microloan to participants who attend the majority of the C.E.P programs and exhibit a clear plan and drive for success. The choice for a loan over a grant is intentional.
“The funding that we’ve received through U.S. Bank would be facilitated through the Iowa Center. The good thing about the Iowa Center is that their whole process is around very low interest rates,” Parks explained.
“We [considered] trying to do a grant program, but with businesses part of it is that you have skin in the game. When you look at things like a grant, you have a different mindset than if you have skin in the game; you’re betting on yourself. That’s why we made it into a micro lending program. So, ideally, we’ll do this first round with this cohort of folks, they’ll take out their micro loans [and] when they pay them back, it’ll be a revolving fund to continually be there [for future participants].”
While xBk has managed to grow and evolve in its first five years, music venues in general have had a rough half-decade. COVID-19, the swift drying up of state and federal pandemic assistance, sky-high costs of living and the escalating economic, constitutional and civil rights crises caused by the new Trump administration have made local support more precious than ever.
“Our local music scene got really decimated through the pandemic,” Parks said. “It stunted a lot of our live local music scene. People weren’t getting together to jam anymore … actually going and spending time with people in the community. So, my hope is not only to make their art their career but also to help create more community. The more creative people get together, connect, swap ideas and ideate together, really great things come out of it.”
In addition to CEP, xBk will be opening an additional, smaller space to host events and shows.
Parks purchased the old firehouse building at 1163 24th St at the height of the pandemic, intending to use the space for a project. But after considering finances, she eventually renovated the building to include two retail spaces. One is rented to Nos Books, the first physical location of the family-run bookshop, and the second will be an ancillary space for xBk.
“I wanted to create something that was less about the nightlife component and also a smaller, more intimate space that could be a creative laboratory,” Parks said. “Maybe nights where local songwriters can get together and not get so bent on selling tickets or booze. [It’s about] creatives getting together.”
Like the main venue, this ancillary space will be available to book for private or public events. Artists who are interested in playing a show at xBk but don’t have a big enough crowd to book the space will be able to play shows at the smaller location in the ancillary space. They also plan to host non-music gatherings, such as a monthly sewing meet-up.
“I want it to be a space where people can get together, socialize and create new ideas in a unique spot,” Parks said.
So although this xBk project wasn’t part of Parks’s original plan, her dedication and commitment to the Des Moines arts community continues to expand.
“I wanted to create a place where anybody and everybody, regardless of their background, could come and feel comfortable and feel like they belong,” Parks said. “And, on top of that, what matters and what’s important to musicians when they play venues … I want this to be the venue that, when people come to the Midwest, they’re like ‘oh, I want to play that place.’ It all goes back to trying to create a community in Des Moines.”
The CEP meets every second Saturday of every month at 1163 24th St, Des Moines. Everyone is welcome to attend. xBk’s ancillary space is anticipated to open this spring.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s March 2025 issue.
