Diana Reed Biography

Breakout Topic: Student Entrepreneurship

DIANA REED, a native of Norwalk, Iowa, graduated last May at the top of her class from the University of Iowa with a double degree in Business Management and Performing Arts Entrepreneurship. Diana attended Iowa on full athletic scholarship, entertaining an audience of 70,000 as the Hawkeye Golden Girl. She has won numerous state, regional and national titles in baton and in 2005, made her Broadway dance debut with Christina Applegate in the musical Sweet Charity.

Diana's love for performing inspired her to start her own business called Diana's Golden Twirlers, an organization in Iowa City that teachers students of all ages the art of baton twirling. During her college career, Diana was recognized by Fortune Small Business Magazine as one of four successful student entrepreneurs in the nation and last year she won the John Pappajohn Business Plan Competition.

In June, Diana was crowned Miss Iowa 2007, the Official Hostess of the State of Iowa has used her year of service to travel the state promoting her personal platform of Character Education. She recently returned from the 2008 Miss America competition in Las Vegas where she won a preliminary talent award and brought the state of Iowa back into the limelight as a top ten finalist.