One of ten Billboards courtesy of Lamar Advertising, Jeremy Kadoich, and Marlo Simpson, showcasing Marketers Make a Difference event LVIMA x HopeLink creative by Melissa Key West
Entrepreneurship is often talked about in terms of growth, innovation, and opportunity. Those things matter, but strong business communities are also built on service, generosity, and a willingness to show up for people beyond your own organization.
That is what made LVIMA’s Marketers Make a Difference event on April 16, 2026, worth highlighting through a Global Entrepreneurship Week lens.
Hosted by the Las Vegas Innovation Marketing Association at Velocity Esports Las Vegas, the evening brought local marketers together for a members-only event that combined networking, bowling, and hands-on volunteer work benefiting HopeLink of Southern Nevada. The format was simple, but effective. Attendees were not only there to connect with peers. They were also there to assemble hygiene kits and write motivational notes for families in need.
That kind of event says something important about the local business community. It shows that leadership is not only about building a brand or growing a company. It is also about using time, access, and professional networks to support the people around you.
According to LVIMA’s official event page, teams were made up of both bowlers and “impact makers,” with success tied not just to bowling scores but also to the number of hygiene kits assembled throughout the night. That structure gave the event a clear purpose and made community contribution part of the experience rather than a side activity.
HopeLink was a fitting nonprofit partner for the evening. LVIMA highlighted the organization’s work across homelessness prevention, housing support, emergency shelter, employment assistance, and family stabilization in Southern Nevada. For anyone thinking seriously about entrepreneurship in Las Vegas, that context matters. Healthy business communities do not exist separately from the broader social conditions around them. They depend on stable families, connected neighborhoods, and organizations willing to meet real needs.
Nadya Rousseau, founder and CEO of Alter New Media, with Lauren Jones, Alter New Media co-founder, and Jeremy Kadoich of Lamar Advertising
The event also reflected continuity, not just good intentions. LVIMA noted that its previous community impact effort produced 200 Sunshine Kits for the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. That matters because it shows an ongoing commitment to service rather than a one-time gesture.
Support from Seedtag and Viant helped bring the evening together, reinforcing the idea that community-focused events are strongest when businesses, associations, and local organizations work in tandem.
From a Global Entrepreneurship Week perspective, this is the kind of local story worth telling. Entrepreneurship is not only about launches, funding rounds, and scale. It is also about culture. It is about whether the people shaping an industry are willing to invest in the place where they live and work.
LVIMA’s Marketers Make a Difference event offered a strong example of that mindset in action. It brought professionals together, gave them a practical way to contribute, and turned an industry gathering into something that had clear value beyond the room.