Popular ScaleUp! KC program welcoming area applicants
September 9, 2015 | Bobby Burch
ScaleUp! Kansas City is now accepting applications from area entrepreneurs that hope to boost their businesses through mentorship and a strong network of peers.
The program, which is now in the midst of its second class, welcomes about 15 businesspeople that aim to push their firm’s revenue past $1 million annually. ScaleUp! KC connects entrepreneurs with mentors, peers and resources to grow their businesses.
Operated by the University of Missouri-Kansas City Innovation Center, the program’s third cohort will be accepting applications until Nov. 23 and will begin in January.
“We know it’s important to attract and recruit companies to Kansas City, but growing our own [and] helping our homegrown businesses scale is critical to strengthening our economy, creating jobs and improving lives,” said Maria Meyers, director of the UMKC Innovation Center. “ScaleUP! KC wraps vital resources around Kansas City entrepreneurs who already know success and want to build bigger, better businesses right here in Kansas City. We’re energized that so many entrepreneurs — 32 to date — are using the program to strengthen their businesses and to create economic impact.”
ScaleUp! KC director Jill Meyer said that the program has made a significant impact on the entrepreneurs’ businesses since its January 2015 start.
Jowler Creek Vineyard & Winery recently received a loan to add a 6,000 square-foot facility to triple its footprint and increase production by more than 300 percent. El Padrino Apparel and Soccer Nation in June won the Kansas City Kansas Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year award.
“It’s been quite impressive to see the progress these companies have made in such a short time,” Meyer said in a release.
To be accepted into the program, entrepreneurs must lead a company that’s at least two-years-old, drive annual sales between $150,000 and $750,000, have a market that can generate more than $1 million in revenue and the determination to exceed that mark.
Click here to learn more about those now in the program.
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Fund Me, KC: Family drives KC Pinoy food truck toward brick and mortar
Startland News is continuing its segment to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like KC Pinoy Founder Chrissy Nucum — to share their stories to gain a little help from their supporters. Who are you? I’m Chrissy Nucum, owner and operator of KC Pinoy. What does…
Startland News, KCSF moving to new offices at Plexpod Crossroads
Moving day has arrived for Startland News and the Kansas City Startup Foundation. The nonprofit digital magazine and its parent organization are set to establish new roots in the Crossroads arts district by the end of this week. Their destination: Plexpod Crossroads. “Readers shouldn’t see an interruption in news from Startland — as something of a…
Say ‘cheese,’ KC! Cheddies arrive in Hy-Vee stores after Sprint Accelerator success
For the brothers behind Cheddies, maintaining the integrity of their real-cheddar cheese cracker through the transition to larger manufacturing is paramount as the firm scales, they said. “It really is a guilt-free experience,” said Tomas Pergola, describing the snack he created with his brother, Francisco. “A lot of times we feel the need to indulge…
Lenexa-based Athlete Network teams with K-State, Arkansas, Lindenwood on student engagement
A Kansas City-area tech startup is expanding the scope of its social network for athletes, the company announced this week, revealing new partnerships between Athlete Network and three universities with Division 1 sports. The company is collaborating with athletic departments at Kansas State University, Arkansas State University, and Lindenwood University to develop game-changing technology with…