by Kelly Rogge
Inventors, entrepreneurs or anyone who has a creative idea may be interested in Kansas City Kansas Community College’s 2015 Innovation Summit.
The 4th annual Innovation Summit is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 2 at KCKCC’s Thomas R. Burke Technical Education Center, 6565 State Ave. The cost for attendees to register for the event is $10. Lunch is provided.
This year, Alicia Hooks, director of entrepreneurship at KCKCC, said organizers are trying something new and exciting. Not only will the event hold creative, new and innovative pitches, but the event will also concurrently hold the MECA Summit Challenge (Most Entrepreneurial City in America). The MECA Challenge is for high school and college age participants who compete in small groups to create the best solutions for real problems small businesses experience. Judges will evaluate the solutions and give awards based on their creativity, feasibility, ease of implication and more.
At the Pitch Competition, entrepreneurs will pitch their ideas in front of judges including venture capitalists, investors, other entrepreneurs, business leaders and the community. Participants will compete in one of two divisions – Concept/Idea and Revenue Generating. Additionally, this year, the competition will have a national platform. Friends, family and investors from around the nation can view a video of the pitch and cast their votes online. This provides a wider viewing audience for the product or service participants are presenting at the competition.
“Some people tend to have a slight twist in their gut when they see a new product or idea hit the market that they already thought of,” Hooks said. “This is a platform to not only showcase their ideas, but to provide support.”
Those attending the event and listening to the pitches will each receive the same amount of Innovation Summit currency to give to their favorite ideas. Attendees will have 90 minutes to tour the room and visit with each pitch person/entrepreneur in order to learn any additional information to make their Innovation Summit Currency investment. At the end of the event, organizers will count the Innovation Summit currency for each entrepreneur, which will play a part in determining who moves onto the final round to pitch in front of the judges. Participants are competing for a chance to win a share of $10,000.
Hooks said this event will help to connect and engage innovators and entrepreneurs in the Kansas City community. More than 300 attended the Innovation Summit last year.
“Anyone with an idea or even those that have already started their business can receive business coaching and consulting, at no cost to them, prior to the competition,” she said. “In addition, those who attend will be able to hear and see the creativity and innovation that exists right here. With the MECA competition that is going on simultaneously, those that do not have a desire to start a business, can see how innovation and entrepreneurial thinking is valuable as well. That competition displays unique problem solving skills that are important in any career or leadership role, all while enjoying lunch.”
For more information on the 2015 Innovation Summit, contact Alicia Hooks at 913-288-7570 or by email at [email protected].
Kelly Rogge is the public information supervisor at KCKCC.