Spark MHK

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$350,000 in new capital is now available for area entrepreneurs for the upcoming year. This financial boost comes through the launch of two entrepreneurial funding programs—the Elevate Micro-Loan Program and the NetWork Kansas Empower Fund. A consortium of key entrepreneurial ecosystem partners, including the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, Spark, Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills, K-State Innovation Partners, the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, and NetWork Kansas, have joined forces to make this initiative a reality. Lending decisions will be made at the local level by a diverse review board. The Elevate Micro-Loan Program has been generously capitalized by the City of Manhattan, with the City Commission approving $250,000 to support small business funding in May 2023. The Empower Fund, a NetWork Kansas pilot program, is designed to provide access to capital for minority business owners facing barriers to traditional financing. Offering loans up to $15,000, the Empower Fund features a 4% interest rate and a 48-month repayment period to qualifying businesses located in Riley, Pottawatomie, or Geary Counties.  Learn more about these and other funding programs here: https://lnkd.in/gEsdYhh2 _______________________ $350,000 en nuevos préstamos para pequeñas empresas ahora están disponibles para empresarios del área, disponible para el próximo año. Este impulso financiero se produce a través del lanzamiento de dos programas de financiación empresarial: Elevate Micro-Loan Program and the NetWork Kansas Empower Fund. Un grupo de socios clave de apoyo empresarial, incluida Manhatttan Area Chamber of Commerce, Spark, Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills, K-State Innovation Partners, Greater Manhattan Community Foundation y NetWork Kansas, se han unido para hacer realidad esta iniciativa. Las decisiones sobre préstamos serán tomadas a nivel local por una junta de revisión diversa. Elevate Micro-Loan Program ha sido generosamente capitalizado por la Ciudad de Manhattan, y la Comisión de la Ciudad aprobó $250,000 para apoyar el financiamiento de pequeñas empresas en mayo de 2023. The Empower Fund, a nuevo programa de NetWork Kansas, está diseñado para proporcionar acceso al capital a los propietarios de negocios minoritarios que enfrentan barreras para el financiamiento tradicional. Ofreciendo préstamos de hasta $15,000, el Empower Fund ofrece una tasa de interés del 4% y un período de pago de 48 meses a las empresas calificadas ubicadas en los condados de Riley, Pottawatomie o Geary. Más información aquí: https://lnkd.in/gEsdYhh2

Last night, the Women in Entrepreneurship community hosted the 2nd Annual End of Year Celebration and Awards, presented by Addair Law at Arrow Cocktail Lounge in Manhattan, KS. Women business owners & supporters from around the Greater Manhattan area gathered for an evening of dinner and networking. Executive Director of Spark, Sarah Siders, shared the history of the community and how it has evolved from a small Facebook group in 2020 to monthly events with over 225 women in attendance during 2023 and nearly 450 women entrepreneurs as a member of the online community. The evening concluded with a recognition of women entrepreneurs in four categories: 🌟Emerging Women Entrepreneur of the Year, awarded to Kyra Vanderbilt, Twelve A Fellowship Boutique 🌟Inspiring Women Entrepreneur of the Year, awarded to Mentoria Green, BlackParadiseDoulas 🌟Innovating Women Entrepreneur of the Year, awarded to Nikita Razo, Manhattan Entertainment Co. 🌟Women Entrepreneur Advocate of the Year, awarded to Natalie Barlett Barlett, Gifts by Natalie A special Women in Entrepreneurship Award, the Groundbreaking Leadership Award, was presented to Yendi Gonzalez for her service in her community by offering her time, skills, connections and experience to promote, support and resource women entrepreneurs in the Hispanic community. Yendi is also one of the key leaders in the newly formed Latino Business Association and a recent Flint Hills Business Launch graduate with her business, Ayuda Para Hispanohablantes. Women in Entrepreneurship 2023 Program Sponsors, TheraPie,LLC and Kansas Gas Service were also recognized for their generosity and commitment to women entrepreneurs throughout the region. #celebration #womenentrepreneurs #womensupportingwomen #awards

The final Veteran Entrepreneur Meetup of the year was hosted last night at Goolsby's, a great way to end a successful 2023. This year brought 11 Veteran Entrepreneur-focused events to the region, added just under 100 Veteran businesses to a growing directory and saw 150 people attend Veteran business events this year. With the launch of the Flint Hills Vetrepreneur Foundation and the first ever Flint Hills Veteran Owned Business Summit this fall, the region is getting behind Veteran-owned business in a new and vital way. Engage with the Flint Hills Vetrepreneur Foundation by attending an event or adding your Veteran-owned business info to the directory here: https://lnkd.in/gRG2hwPz _______________________________________ El último Encuentro de Emprendedores Veteranos del año se celebró anoche en Goolsby's, una excelente manera de terminar un exitoso 2023. Este año trajo 11 eventos centrados en empresarios veteranos a la región, agregó poco menos de 100 empresas veteranas a un directorio en crecimiento y vio a 150 personas asistir a eventos comerciales veteranos este año. Con el lanzamiento de la Flint Hills Vetrepreneur Foundation y la primera Cumbre de Empresas Propiedad de Veteranos de Flint Hills este otoño, la región está respaldando a las empresas propiedad de veteranos de una manera nueva y vital. Participe con la Fundación Flint Hills Vetrepreneur asistiendo a un evento o añadiendo su información comercial de propiedad veterana al directorio aquí: https://lnkd.in/gRG2hwPz

Flint Hills Business Launch proudly presents the Fall 2023 class of entrepreneurs who completed Spark's core business fundamentals in a 9-week program. Dive into the excitement of the graduation ceremony and pitch competition, featuring 15 entrepreneurs and 12 businesses. Special thanks to our Flint Hills Business Launch sponsors: NetWork Kansas, Manhattan Area Chamber Of Commerce and Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation (PCEDC). Learn more about the graduation event and course at the link here: https://lnkd.in/gVKYaZrR #Entrepreneurship #BusinessSucess #FlintHillsLaunch _____________________ Flint Hills Business Launch presenta con orgullo la clase de emprendedores de otoño de 2023 que completó los principales fundamentos de negocio de Spark en un programa de 9 semanas. Sumégerte en la emoción de la cermonia de graduación y la competencia de discurso promocional, con 15 emprendedores y 12 negocios. Un agradecimiento especial a nuestros patrocinadores: NetWork Kansas, Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce y Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation. ¡Ver más información y resultados del evento en el enlace de arriba!

Congratulations to the Flint Hills Business Launch Fall 2023 graduates, who completed the 9-week program last week. The graduates invited family and friends to join them for a celebratory dinner and pitch competition. Thanks to graduate, Cindy Pulse Photography for the event photos, and to our entrepreneur vendors who provided food and entertainment for the evening: Gofer Toffee , SHoney Farm and The DogFather and to Business Launch alum, KikisEvents, for the wonderful event decor. Also, special thanks to our facilitator, Tara Geiber, and MHK Caravan Co. for the bar and photobooth. Stay tuned for more details and recognition in the press release, coming later today. _____________________ Felicitaciones a los graduados de Flint Hills Business Launch Otoño 2023, que completaron el programa de 9 semanas la semana pasada. Los graduados invitaron a familiares y amigos a unirse a ellos para una cena de celebración y competencia de lanzamiento. Gracias a la graduada Cindy Pulse Photography por las fotos del evento, y a nuestros vendedores emprendedores que proporcionaron comida y entretenimiento para la noche: Gofer Toffee, Shoney Farm y el DOGFATHER y a Business Launch ALUM, KikisEvents, por la maravillosa decoración del evento. También, un agradecimiento especial a nuestra facilitadora, Tara Geiber, y MHK Caravan Co por el bar y el photobooth. Busque el comunicado de prensa, que llegará más tarde hoy.

🇺🇸 This Veterans Day, we honor the achievements and contributions of Veteran Entrepreneurs, both in the military and in the business community. Check out these incredible stories of Veteran Entrepreneurs throughout the greater Flint Hills region and discover the impact of their military experiences on their entrepreneurial journey. Let's stand together in supporting our Veterans. Visit the link here to read Vetrepreneur Stories: https://lnkd.in/gdGUYF-7 #SparkSupportsVeterans #EntrepreneurialHeroes #FlintHillsVetrepreneurs #VeteranOwnedSmallBusiness

Spark would like to congratulate the 14 entrepreneurs who will graduate from the Fall 2023 cohort of Flint Hills Business Launch. These current and future business owners have spent the last nine weeks diving into the fundamentals of launching and operating a successful business. The group spent time refining their business models and target clients, as well as clarifying their products and services and identifying new market opportunities. The course has been brilliantly facilitated by K-State Entrepreneurship Instructor and serial entrepreneur, Tara Ewing Gieber. Her real-world experience offers Business Launch participants crucial insights into every aspect of their business. Tonight, nine of these businesses will pitch for a $1000 award. Our extraordinary lineup of experienced entrepreneurs and panel judges include: Tychelle Jones, owner of 365 Days 365 Chances Counseling Services, Blair Kocher, MBA, owner of Aquam Vinos: Purveyors Of Fine Wine & Goods and Dori Bell, owner of Blossom Creative. As they graduate, this 6th cohort will join nearly 50 entrepreneurs who have completed one of Spark’s Kauffman Fast-Trac based courses. These early-stage businesses span industries, including professional services, health and wellness, food and beverage, real estate and more. We are proud of their investment in themselves, and pleased to introduce this group to a community who we know gets behind their entrepreneurs. This course is made possible by our generous program sponsors: NetWork Kansas, Manhattan Area Chamber Of Commerce, Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation (PCEDC) and Spark. The graduates are also supported by community partners and entrepreneur support organizations: including Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills, Washburn Small Business Development Center, Kansas State University Innovation Partners, and the Flint Hills Vetrepreneur Foundation. Several of the entrepreneurs have already been introduced in a series featuring participants in this cohort. Read their stories at the link below, and look for more to come: https://lnkd.in/g2KdsdsH

Thanks to Joseph Robben and WIBW TV for their coverage of the #FlintHillsVeteranOwnedBusinessSummit. We appreciate you giving attention to this important event as we support #NationalVeteranSmallBusinessWeek. https://lnkd.in/dAx4iFJQ

Yesterday we hosted the first #FlintHillsVeteranOwnedBusinessSummit, in recognition of #NationalVeteranSmallBusinessWeek. The event featured in introduction to the newly formed Flint Hills Vetrepreneur Foundation, as well as a panel of Veteran entrepreneurs, followed by a panel of national and state resources for entrepreneurs and Veterans. This successful event was a truly collaborative effort between U.S. Small Business Administration, Wichita District, Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce, Manhattan Area Chamber Of Commerce, Junction City Main Street Program, VetBiz, SCORE Mentors, and Kansas Small Business Development Center. Our sponsors, Armed Forces Bank, USAA, and Intelligent IT (iIT, LLC) made this event possible through their support. Thank you to each of you. And thank you to our regional and state resource organizations who provided staff and materials, NetWork Kansas, Kansas Small Business Development Center, SCORE Mentors, Manhattan Area Chamber Of Commerce, Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce and Junction City Main Street Program. A huge thank you to our entrepreneur panelists, Shawn Robison, Christine Lee, owner of Lash Camera Action, Virgil Williams of SAVE Farm, Eddie Matta of Matta Aviation and Mike Riley, VFW. And thank you to our resource panelists, Wayne Bell, SBA, James Monson, Washburn SBDC, Brandie Schmidt, VetBiz and Ann Patterson, SCORE. We are thankful for your time, experience and expertise shared with the group. We look forward to hosting more of these collaborative, Veteran-focused events in the region in the next few months. Visit https://lnkd.in/dj-CjA4m to learn more about the foundation and add your Veteran-owned business to the growing directory.