This month’s Southtown Business Highlight is the UMKC Innovation Center at 4747 Troost Ave. helping emerging/existing business owners develop business basics. Created in 2005 by bringing together university business outreach services, each year the Center serves more than 3,000 clients, through training classes, one-on-one counseling sessions, and referrals to other support
organizations.
Serving the very broad market, but with an emphasis in technology commercialization, the Center encompasses the following programs:
The MO Small Business and Technology Development Center and MU Extension provide technical assistance to startup/existing businesses through one-on-one consulting and training. This group specializes in technology commercialization and second-stage high-growth businesses.
MO Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) helps local businesses garner government contracts and provides certification support through counseling and a special bid matching system.
KCSourceLink connects aspiring, emerging/existing business owners to a network of 230+ nonprofit Resource Partners in the KC region that offer business-building services.
Whiteboard to Boardroom, a partnership between UMKC, KU, William Jewell College and Johnson County Community College has expanded to more than 20 regional research and development organizations, creating a pathway for technology commercialization that maximizes the ability of these organizations to create spin-outs.
Artist, INC. connects KC artists of all disciplines to the tools, resources and opportunities needed to develop their entrepreneurial skills and strengthen their artistic practice.
Digital Sandbox KC provides proof-of-concept resources to support early-stage commercialization processes including access to technology, business and market experts and funding for early-stage market validation, prototyping and beta testing services.
4747 Troost Avenue is home to other groups that support entrepreneurs in the Kansas City region including: UMKC Entrepreneurial Legal Services Clinic, UMKC Technology Transfer Office, International Trade Council of Greater KC, Inc. and SCORE.