Your Connection to Kansas City’s Entrepreneurial Community

“I just started my business, what resources are available to me in Kansas City?” “I have an idea for a tech startup, what should I do first?” “I have a few customers, how do I scale my business and grow into new markets?”

These are the sorts of questions we get all the time here at KCSourceLink. On a normal day, we refer the asker to one of our 240+ Resource Partners. But March 22 was not any old day . . . it was our first Resource Partner meeting of 2018.

Support organizations from Kansas City’s entrepreneurial community gathered at the Kauffman Foundation to do our very favorite thing—lend a hand to local business owners. A room filled with business building experts experienced firsthand the power of Kansas City’s entrepreneurial network during our entrepreneur meet, greet and treat.

Here was the format: three entrepreneurs each shared about their businesses and entrepreneurial journeys, then took questions from the Resource Partners. Next, the room split into three groups that each corralled around their assigned entrepreneur to introduce their organization and share what resources they provide that could be valuable to them.

Here’s a look at each of the presenting entrepreneurs, where they’re headed and some of the connections they made at the meeting.

Safiyyah Mills, Sentimental Moodz

The business: Safiyyah handcrafts Afro-centric and multicultural greeting cards and gifts, then sells them online and at tradeshows.  

The journey: Safiyyah is a serial entrepreneur who started Sentimental Moodz because she wanted to see more paper products for people of color. It is a true passion project that she plans to grow by continuing to get to know her market, increasing online and in-person sales and exploring a subscription model.

Connections made: Business feasibility classes, mentoring, art-specific business courses, multicultural organizations and many more.

>>>>>Are you ready to get the connections you need to grow your hobby into a money making business? Get your (free) Personalized Action Plan now.

Spencer Carlson, 2020 Adventures

The business: 2020 Adventures helps everyday people travel the world by coordinating logistics and connecting them with local hosts for the most authentic experience.

The journey: Spencer has travelled the world on a shoestring budget a few times. His lifelong passion for globetrotting inspired him to start 2020 Adventures in 2015. In 2017, the company received a grant from Digital Sandbox KC to build TripSushi, an adventure booking tech platform.

Connections made: Early-stage capital (grants, loans and investment), hiring support, international sales and many more.  

>>>>>Do you have an idea for a tech business that could help a lot of people? Send us some info and we will be in touch ASAP with your Personalized Action Plan.

Meg Melchert, Ink’d & Classi

The business: The mission of Ink’d & Classi is to encourage every woman to sparkle a little brighter and live life without limits. Meg does this through a positive apparel line, cosmetic tattooing and EMPOWER U, a business group for rural women entrepreneurs.

The journey: Meg’s entrepreneurial journey began with a happy accident. Her sister mistakenly purchased a printing press on a credit card. After much back and forth between corporate America and entrepreneurial pursuits, Meg finally quit her day job in 2017 to focus full time on Ink’d & Classi.

Connections made: Market research, woman-owned business certification, support for rural entrepreneurs, business calendar and many more.

>>>>>Do you want to start a business to improve your community and provide economic opportunity for your neighbors? Start with a Personalized Action Plan from yours truly.  

It was a blast getting to know these inspiring entrepreneurs and watching our Resource Partners do what they do best—encourage, nurture and guide! Keep an eye on our blog for more in-depth stories on these entrepreneurs. And for hand-selected connections to the resources you need to grow, drop us a line.

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