Category: Business

Registration open for KCKCC’s Innovation Summit

by Kelly Rogge

Kansas City Kansas Community College is preparing for the 2015 KCKCC “Innovation Summit” – one of the premiere start-up pitch competitions in the region.

The 4th annual Innovation Summit is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 3 in the Multi-purpose room of the Dr. Thomas R. Burke Technical Education Center, 6565 State Ave.

The purpose is to inspire entrepreneurs, individuals and educators to innovate; connect people and organizations; mentor and promote Kansas City’s entrepreneurial spirit and engage and facilitate community leaders so they can promote entrepreneurship as a vital part of the culture and economic health, according to a KCKCC spokesman.

Innovation Summit partners include KCKCC, State Street, MAMTC, SCORE, the Kansas SBDC, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the Wyandotte Economic Development Council, KCSourceLink, the KCK Women’s Chamber, the KCK Chamber of Commerce, the Native American Chamber of Commerce, the Asian Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas Black Chamber of Commerce, the Women’s Business Center, the Central Avenue Betterment Association, the Leavenworth County Development Council, Youth Entrepreneurs Kansas, Emporia State University-KC and SCORE.

“This Innovation Summit is about bringing together lots of people from varying backgrounds and disciplines in order to combine creative ideas so that these innovations can become a reality,” said Jay Matlack, director of business retention and expansion for the Wyandotte Economic Development Council and former director of Workforce Development for KCKCC. “We hope anyone who has an idea feels invited to come as an attendee or attempt pitching their idea so that they can test whether their innovative ideas are feasible.”

After qualified participants give their pitches to the judges and the general audience, investors and attendees will have a chance to walk through the elevator pitch exhibit. This is an opportunity for selected entrepreneurs to answer additional questions from investors, other entrepreneurs, business leaders and venture capitalists for a chance to win a cash award.

There are two divisions in the perfect pitch competition – the general division, for those 19 and above and the high school division, for those who are 14 to 18-years-old. Four chances are available to qualify for the perfect pitch competition. Each pitch person will be given three minutes to pitch an idea, followed by three minutes for questions from the judges. The following are qualifying dates:

• Feb. 23 – KCKCC Flint Building, Room 3619B – 1 to 4 p.m.
• Feb. 26 – KCKCC Flint Building, Room 3619B – 4 to 7 p.m.
• Feb. 28 – KCKCC Flint Building, Room 3619B – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• March 13 – KCKCC Flint Building, Room 3619B – 5 to 8 p.m.

It is recommended that those who want to participate attend the first session if possible. This will give individuals a chance to tryout again on the second or third dates if not selected, according to summit organizers.

In addition, area industry experts will be available to assist participants in preparing for the tryouts. After the tryouts, critiques will be provided, allowing individuals to get free consulting from SCORE, the Women’s Business Center or the KSBDC to improve their pitch prior to the summit.

Those who qualify for the perfect pitch competition are then allowed to set up an exhibit and share their ideas during the elevator pitch exhibit at the Innovation Summit, the spokesman said. Exhibitors will give a 30-second elevator pitch and attendees will invest their Monopoly money in those ideas that interest them. The top six earners (three from the general division and three from the high school division) move onto the perfect pitch competition.

For those who would like to attend the 2015 Innovation Summit, registration is $15.

To reserve a spot at one of the tryout sessions or for questions, call 913-288-7644 or email [email protected]. Registration for the Innovation Summit can be completed at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4th-annual-innovation-summit-tickets-15737880424.

Kelly Rogge is the public information supervisor at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

SBA to offer small business owner workshops at KCKCC

by Kelly Rogge
Kansas City Kansas Community College is collaborating with the Small Business Administration on several upcoming workshops.

These workshops will focus on becoming 8(a), HUBZone and Women Owned Small Business and are designed on helping small business owners in making the federal government a possible future customer.

The 8 (a) Business Development Program is an assistance program for small, disadvantaged businesses. The idea behind the program is to help these entrepreneurs to gain access to the economic mainstream.

HUBZone helps small businesses in both urban and rural communities gain preferential access to federal procurement opportunities. The Women-Owned Small Businesses Program provides greater access to federal contracting opportunities to those small businesses that are owned by women. To qualify as a WOSB, a business must be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more women and primarily managed by one or more women.

The SBA Kansas City District Office will offer these free workshops to inform small businesses about the certification programs.
Participants will learn:
• 8(a), HUBZone and WOSB program details
• Eligibility requirements
• Benefits
• SBA assistance to 8(a) firms
• Application process

The first workshop is from 9 to 11 a.m. Feb. 26 on the KCKCC main campus, 7250 State Ave., in Room 3632. (Park in lots A or B and enter through Performing Arts Building).

Participants must register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sba-certification-programs-could-mean-big-business-tickets-15714563683.
For more information, contact Barbara Caldwell at 816-426-4902 or by email [email protected].

Kelly Rogge is the public information supervisor at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Dairy Farmers of America to construct new $30 million building in Wyandotte County

The Dairy Farmers of America have announced they will build a new $30 million office building east of I-435 between Parallel Parkway and State Avenue in Kansas City, Kan. (Architect's drawing)
The Dairy Farmers of America have announced they will build a new $30 million office building east of I-435 between Parallel Parkway and State Avenue in Kansas City, Kan. (Architect’s drawing)

A new $30 million office building will expand into the Village West area, according to an announcement by the Dairy Farmers of America.

DFA will make its new headquarters in Kansas City, Kan., according to the announcement, and more than 325 employees will relocate there from their current offices in Kansas City, Mo., where they have been since 1998.

The headquarters building, a three-story, 100,000-square-foot building, is expected to be completed by December 2016, according to Kristen Coady, senior director, corporate communications, with the Dairy Farmers of America.

She said the new office building development would be located in the area east of I-435, on 98th between State Avenue and Parallel Parkway. That is the location of the Schlitterbahn development project and near the planned U.S. Soccer facility.

As the largest milk marketing cooperative in the nation, DFA exports dairy products and is the sixth largest dairy company in the world, Coady said. The Dairy Farmers of America is a cooperative owned by 15,000 dairy farmers across the country. Those members have elected to invest in brands such as Borden Cheese, Kemps, Keller’s Creamery and Hiland Dairy, she said.

Last year the Dairy Farmers of America announced plans to build a $235 million dairy ingredients plant in western Kansas, that is expected to be in operation by 2017. It will manufacture milk powder for export, according to the announcement.