Women's Business Center - May 2018 Newsletter

Women's Business Center | Women's Capital Connection

May 2018 eNewsletter

Client Spotlight

Antoinette of Toni's Hair Shop

Soon after graduating from the Cosmetology Program at Johnson County Community College, Antoinette set up Toni's Hair Shop in Kansas City, Kansas. She went on to hone her business skills through the Women's Business Center's LaunchU Program . A small micro loan from the WBC WE-Lend Program is liberating Toni from the burden of a predatory loan and giving her the fresh start her business deserves!

Upcoming Events

Building Your E-Commerce Business

Wednesday, June 6 | 5:30-7:00pm

Plexpod @ Westport Commons

Building a profitable e-commerce business requires an efficient platform, payment technology, strategies to drive traffic and optimize conversions, and other best practices. Join WBC & AltCap to hear from some of Kansas City’s most successful entrepreneurs as they share their experience building a business and brand online.

Registration and refreshments will be available at 5:00pm and the workshop will start promptly at 5:30pm.

BIG Breakfast

Thursday, June 21 | 7:30-9:00am

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Join Thinking Bigger as they host a panel discussion of Kansas City entrepreneurs sharing personal stories from their own companies and advice you can put to work in yours – all while enjoying a BIG Breakfast. Come out and meet the panelists, network with other business owners, and leave full - of breakfast and great insights!

June 2018 Panelists:

Christine Ricci | Phonemedic
Pat Phelan | Leap Hospitality
Ajamu Webster | DuBois Consultants

Business News

2018 LEANLAB Education K12 Fellowship Application is NOW OPEN!

Deadline to apply is June 10.

Does your startup address a pressing problem in K12 education? Do you have a functional prototype that you’re ready to test in schools? Are you passionate about creating better education outcomes for all kids? LEANLAB Education's K12 Fellowship is uniquely specific to the K12 sector. Apply to be a part of the 5th cohort and secure partnerships, receive mentorship, training and up to $35,000 in support for your venture.

Learn More

Growth Mentoring Service

The Growth Mentoring Service (GMS) program is wrapping up its second year of mentoring entrepreneurs through the Enterprise Center in Johnson County. GMS currently supports 25 entrepreneurs who meet their assigned team of mentors monthly, working to accelerate their growth. The mentor pool has grown rapidly to include 80+ mentors from all business disciplines. Entrepreneurs accepted to the program are in a growth stage, with guidelines including that they have recurring revenue of $100,000.

Applications and more information are available HERE .

KC Chamber Honors 2018 Small Business of the Year

Lead Bank was named as Small Business of the Year. CEO Josh Rowland accepted the Mr. K Award, named for Kansas City entrepreneur Ewing Kauffman. The criteria for the award is based on Kauffman’s philosophy: grow the business, reward employees, give back to the community.