With scholarships available, urban business effort grows Kansas City
December 7, 2016 | Meghan LeVota
An effort to increase entrepreneurship in the urban core of Kansas City is increasing its area economic impact as well as its scholarship opportunities.
Launched in 2013, the Urban Business Growth Initiative offers a variety of programs that help applicants access resources, classes and counseling to create jobs and support urban business growth.
The UBGI helped its 92 scholarship award-winners generate $29.5 million in sales and $4.3 million in investment capital in 2016, according to a report from the UMKC Innovation Center. The report also found that the program helped retain about 130 jobs and create 83 new positions.
The UBGI is funded by the City of Kansas City, Mo. and the U.S. Small Business Administration. The initiative is a collaboration of KC BizCare, KCSourcelink, UMKC Small Business and Technology Development Center, the Procurement Technical Assistance Center, Justine PETERSEN and the Women’s Business Center. The initiative pushes its services to low- and moderate-income individuals in the urban core who wish to start or grow businesses.
“The UBGI is defining the path to economic mobility for Kansas City entrepreneurs,” assistant city manager Rick Usher said in a release.
Below is more information on upcoming winter scholarship opportunities. Eligible applicants must live or own a business in Kansas City. Accepted participants may select one free class and one $75 class. To apply, click here.
Winning Government Contracts:The First Steps
When: Jan. 5, Feb 2. Mar 2. Apr 6 and May 4
Cost: no cost with scholarship
Explains how to get started in government contracting including federal, state and local government registration and certification.
Construction Business Management
When: Jan. 17 – March 7
Cost: $645, $75 with scholarship
Assists construction business owners with issues of growth.
FastTrac® NewVenture™
When: Jan. 17 – Feb. 14
Cost: $649, $75 with scholarship
Explores the feasibility of a business concept and teaches participants how to develop a viable business plan.
FastTrac® TechVenture™
When: Feb. 8 – April 12
Cost: $795, $75 with scholarship
Provides technology and science-based entrepreneurs with a proven framework and network of connections to help grow a great idea into the next viable innovation.
Featured Business
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Sand volleyball tourney for early-career professions works to ‘Spike the Stigma’ on mental health
Joining the workforce is no walk on the beach, said Mark Potts, but give him and his teammates a few hours in the sun and sand on a Saturday afternoon and it could be. “Nobody is on their journey alone,” said Potts, president of the Go Further Foundation, explaining the organization’s purpose and its goal…
Sailes closes $5.1M investment round led by STL firm, with KCRise Fund, Wichita VC
The foundation for Sailes has always been solving difficult problems for sales teams, said Nick Smith; the success of a Series A funding round for the startup will power new tools toward that goal. “Everyone is on this AI hype train, and we’ve been for AI for a while. But it’s not just about using…
EquipmentShare completes another $150M equity raise, building on its Series E funding
COLUMBIA, Missouri — The latest tranche of funding for EquipmentShare puts mid-Missouri’s most earth-moving scaleup close to a half-billion dollars in funding announced over the past six months. EquipmentShare, a Columbia-based equipment and digital solutions provider serving the construction industry, on Wednesday announced it completed an extension of its Series E equity raise, led by funds…
Tesseract Ventures illuminates its work with US military, lighting new alert system for air force base
A new military contract showcases Tesseract Ventures’ versatility and sophistication in the national security tech space, said John Boucard, touting the Overland Park-based company’s cutting-edge Alert Route Lighting System planned for MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. “Tesseract continues its focused mission to revolutionize the way people live, work, and play by developing state-of-the-art technologies…