Innovation center, investor hub set to open this month on Liberty campus, thanks to family’s gift
October 11, 2023 | Startland News Staff
LIBERTY, Missouri — A significant financial gift to William Jewell College from a family of alumni is expected to fund a new innovation center opening on campus this month. The space is expected to serve as an investor hub and flexible workspace for Kansas City entrepreneurs.
The Mathes Innovation Center — made possible by the gift from alumni Mark and Karen Mathes and Jared and Mary Mathes of Liberty, as well as the entire Mathes Family — aims to students and local founders from the moment of their business proposal through the investment process, according to the college.
Members will gain business and technological acumen while immersed in Jewell’s culture of critical thought and inquiry, a press release said. Center staff will curate interested investors on behalf of the Mathes Innovation Centers’ members to create a true one stop shop.
Financial details of the gift were not disclosed.
“There are many great ideas that never come to fruition due to the lack of infrastructure and assistance provided to the entrepreneur,” said Jared Mathes. “The Center is an opportunity for students and business founders to test ideas and present them to all investor classes, pivoting from the more traditional investment style.”
An indispensable service of the Mathes Innovation Center is close collaboration with identified investors that will vet and present opportunities for funding, according to the college. For Jewell students, this means mentorship in launching a business that will generate profit to help fund their education.
Click here to begin exploring the Mathes Innovation Center.
Mathes Innovation Center at William Jewell
In addition to Jewell students and staff, the Center is open to area community members, entrepreneurs, innovators and current small business owners. Other offerings of the Center will include events, programs, ideation, business plan competitions, coaching, networking, curriculum, funding options and more to foster innovation and business development.
“Our goal with this Innovation Center is to not only teach business to our students but to create an environment where collaboration and innovation allow our students to live business as they learn,” said Mark Mathes. “By developing their entrepreneurial skills at the Innovation Center, many of these students will graduate into a job with a company they have already founded and own. We believe this approach will make us unique among the Innovation Centers throughout higher education nationwide.”
The Mathes Innovation Center — housed at 17 S. Jewell Street in the Pryor Center for Leadership Development — is also available as a flexible workspace solution for entrepreneurs and small businesses, offering rental options that range from co-working spaces, event spaces for small business gatherings and long-term leases for those looking for a more permanent home for their enterprise.
Featured Business
2023 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
SoftBank invests $4.4 billion in WeWork
Global coworking giant WeWork recently raked in a massive investment from SoftBank. The Tokyo-based conglomerate and its $93-billion Vision Fund has injected $4.4 billion into WeWork, which has 23 coworking spaces in the United States — including a shared, 40,000- square-foot workspace in Kansas City in the Crossroads Arts District — and more than 27…
UMKC hatchling Artist INC takes on new ownership, regional expansion
Artist INC, a program supporting hundreds of Kansas City artists, announced Thursday that it has new ownership and will further expand in the region. Formerly a program of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Innovation Center, Artist INC is now housed and fully supported by the Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA). A regional arts nonprofit, M-AAA serves…
E-Scholars grad Heidi Van pushes boundaries with ‘nomadic theater’
Obstacles along the path to success are often produced in the minds of the creative people themselves, Heidi Van said. “These obstacles are created from self-doubt,” said Van, Fishtank Theatre founder and artistic director. “If you actually looked closer and broke it down into action items, you could probably make a couple of phone calls…
Jobs alert: 5 Techstars firms now hiring in Kansas City
Less than halfway through Techstars’ three-month program, five startup companies in the class are hiring. The program’s first annual cohort — which included 10 startups — spent the first month meeting nearly 100 mentors and investors. Following the feedback, half of the class is ready to scale and hire more people, said Techstars managing director Lesa Mitchell.…