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
Frank Keck: Benefits of developing a strong workplace culture
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary about workplace culture are the author’s alone. Check out a previous column by Frank Keck here. “We know that engaged managers and employees are much more likely to remain in an organization, leading to fewer hires from outside the organization. This results in: Lower wage costs for…
Downtown space levels up with ‘Novel Coworking’ name change
About seven months after arriving in Kansas City, one of the area’s newest coworking spaces has announced a name change. Chicago-based Level Office — which opened a studio in downtown Kansas City in February — announced Monday a rebrand to become Novel Coworking. The revamp more accurately represents the company’s mission to amplify its customers,…
Photos: KC Coworking Day sings virtues of big ideas in startup spaces
KC Coworking Day is a celebration of people whose vision exceeds their circumstances, said Bob Martin. “If you’re an entrepreneur, and you have a vision, I hope your vision is so big that you’re uncomfortable sharing it with everybody — that there’s only a handful of people to whom you’re going to say, ‘This is…
Digital Sandbox startup Fast Democracy building non-partisan social database for tracking legislation
Today’s political climate demands not only a better-informed public, but accurate tools to help voters arm themselves with timely information, said Sara Baker, co-founder of Fast Democracy. The Kansas City-based startup — one of four early-stage businesses recently accepted into Digital Sandbox KC — aims to help people “touch their democracy” through its non-partisan web…