disrupt & conquer: a startup guide for kc innovation
TRANSCRIPT
2 | KCSOURCELINK.COM
Whether you just have a brilliant idea, are ready to launch your MVP, want to further innovation in Kansas City, are looking to invest in the next bright tech idea or are ready to make an exit with your successful company, remember: KCSourceLink is ready to connect you to the KC metro’s network of more than 240 Resource Partners, over 150 of which work with entrepreneurs in the tech and innovation space.
NEVER INNOVATE ALONE
3 | KCSOURCELINK.COM
HOP ON THE INNOVATION LINEWe’ve mapped the business-building experts in
the Resource Network who help KC innovation-led
companies move from inception to exit. Follow the line
to find those folks in KC—on both sides of the state
line—who are ready to help you test your idea, meet
the right people to move it forward, develop your
prototype and secure capital.
Follow this line if you’re a tech or high-growth
company. These companies form around a new
technology or breakthrough process that has
the potential for a very large market, beyond the
immediate region.
CHECK OUT THE FULL RESOURCE RAIL
4 | KCSOURCELINK.COM
Want a customized checklist of what to do next and the experts and resources that can help? Call KCSourceLink at 816-235-6500 or tell us what your business needs in the link below, and we’ll craft your very own Personal Action Plan.
GET THE NEXT STEPS FOR YOUR BUSINESS (OR IDEA)
TELL US WHAT YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS
5 | KCSOURCELINK.COM
STAGE 1: INCEPTION/IDEA
YOU HAVE A BUSINESS IDEA...You have a business idea, but you haven’t developed a plan. At this stage, you learn how to turn your dream into a real-life business—and who can help you do it.
Libraries / Research
Financial opportunity centersKauman Founders School (online)
Pathway Financial Education
TRAINING
1 Million CupsBioKansasChambers of commerceGUILDitInnovateHERInnovation Exchange (Startland)Inventors Center of Kansas CityMulticultural Business CoalitionNorthland Coee ConnectSocial Media Club of Kansas CityStartup GrindStartup RewindKC Velocity
MEETUPS
GET LEGALEntrepreneurial Legal Services Clinic (UMKC)Registration, Licenses and Permits
K-State Research and ExtensionSBDCs
E-Scholars ProgramELEVATIONLAB™ TECH VENTURE
(Missouri SBDC at UMKC)Entrepreneurial Mindset Training
(Missouri SBDC at UMKC)Free Enterprise Center at UMKC School
of Computing and EngineeringKauman FastTrac® (online)
CONCEPTHackathonsStartup WeekendWhiteboard 2 Boardroom®
FEASIBILITY
SOCIAL NETWORKING
READINESS
STARTUP
START A BUSINESS GUIDE
Have a business idea but aren’t sure where
to begin? Explore our Start a Business
Guide, which takes you through the
beginning stages so you can get started.
6 | KCSOURCELINK.COM
COLLEGE COACHING NETWORK
HOW CLAUDE HARRIS TRANSFORMED HIS BUSINESS INTO A TECH STARTUPWhen Claude Harris started College Coaching Network, he didn’t realize
he actually had a business that was perfect for a streamlined app-driven
experience. So he did the best thing he could’ve done for his newly
realized tech startup: He got connected.
Claude got his free, custom set of next steps with his very own Personal
Action Plan, which outlined his journey. He took the ELEVATIONLAB™
NEW VENTURE course from the Missouri Small Business Development
Center at UMKC, which he says helped him craft a digital product with
feedback and guidance. From there, he landed a spot in Pitch Perfect, an
11-week boot camp through the Enterprise Center in Johnson County. And
then Digital Sandbox KC gave him validation to created his app. He says
1 Million Cups gave him a platform to get feedback on his company, and
the Heartland Black Chamber gave him an opportunity for outreach. He
was also a part of the 2019 cohort of the T-Mobile Accelerator and landed
a coveted spot as a Pipeline Entrepreneurs 2022 fellow.CLAUDE HARRIS
Read and watch more about how Claude pivoted to a tech business.
KCSourceLink basically gave me an opportunity to know about
the resources that are right here in my own backyard. If you
don’t know which way you should go, they will direct you in the
right path.
7 | KCSOURCELINK.COM
CrowdfundingDigital Sandbox KC
Generating Income for Tomorrow (GIFT)Justine PETERSEN microloan program
KITE-Proof of Concept Program(Kansas Department of Commerce)
Missouri TechLaunchSBIR Grant Phase I (SBDCs)
Black & Veatch MakerSpace at JohnsonCounty LibraryFabLab (MCC — Business & Technology)GotDevKCHammerspace CommunityWorkshop & Makerspacebcp tech accelerator
Dairy Farmer's of AmericaCoLAB Accelerator
IgniteX CleanTech AcceleratorLEANLAB Education
Social Venture StudioT-Mobile Accelerator
ACCELERATORS
PROOF-OF-CONCEPT CAPITAL
PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT
MARKET INTRO
Business plan competitions
STAGE 2: MARKET INTRO
You have validated your idea, and you know you have a market. Now, you’re ready to develop your product, enter the market and get your first customers. To get there, you’ll need to test your concept, market your product or service and distribute to your customers.
YOU HAVE VALIDATED YOUR IDEA...
HOW THEY GOT FUNDED
Resources like Digital Sandbox KC help give
investors an early line-of-sight into up-and-
coming innovators. RFP360, HCI Energy,
Patients Voices, ZOLOZ, ShotTracker, Super
Dispatch — all took some of the first funding
steps with proof-of-concept funding from
organizations like the Sandbox.
8 | KCSOURCELINK.COM
CONNECT AND GET INVOLVED IN KC TECH No matter if you’re an entrepreneur looking for help for your tech startup or if you’re a community leader who wants to get involved with an innovative business, KCSourceLink offers two programs to help you with advisory and fiduciary boards and funding.
SIGN UP FOR CAPITALMATCH
SIGN UP FOR BOARDMATCH
Looking to assemble a board? Want to be a board member or adviser?KCSourceLink’s BoardMatch is an informal, private way for entrepreneurs, and potential advisory and fiduciary boards to connect.
Interested in investing in KC startups? Looking for capital?KCSourceLink’s CapitalMatch is an informal, private way for investors to learn about early-stage deals and for entrepreneurs to find early-stage capital.
9 | KCSOURCELINK.COM
EQUITY
LOANS
Collaborative CapitalDundee Venture CapitalEquity2 Impact Fund Firebrand VenturesFirst Business Bankinvestor groupiiMMid-America AngelsNetwork KansasMultiplier FundSeed Capital Co-Investment ProgramUMB Capital Corp.Women’s CapitalConnection
Kansas Angel Tax Credit,KS Dept. of CommerceSBIR Grant Phase II (SBDCs)
EDC LoanCorporationPipeline Pathways
Ennovation CenterInnovation Stockyard
ROLLOUT CAPITAL
EARLY-GROWTH PROGRAMS
INCUBATION
STAGE 3: ROLLOUT
YOU HAVE A BUSINESS MODEL...You have a business model, a proven value proposition, processes that work and customers. Congrats! You’re fine-tuning your business operations, growing your professional network and maybe even looking for additional capital, all so you can keep the momentum going.
10 | KCSOURCELINK.COM
DR. SHELLEY COOPER
SURESHOW, DIVERSITY TELEHEALTH’S COME ON NOW!
DR. SHELLEY COOPER LEVERAGES KC OPPORTUNITIES FOR STARTUP SUCCESSShelley Cooper noticed many patients missed scheduled doctor’s
appointments, so she took her expertise in telehealth and created
SureShow Inc., which invites patients to virtual doctor’s visits, among
other features. And during the pandemic, she created another app for
federally qualified health centers called Come On Now!, which focuses on
underserved children and adult Medicare recipients.
How did she create those apps? Early on, she utilized Lightship Capital
where she learned about investment strategies and how to pitch
to investors. She honed her skills for customer discovery, product
development, developing a marketing plan and more at Women’s
Academy Accelerator offered by Beta Boom. She perfected her elevator
pitch through the ELEVATIONLAB™ Tech Venture class from the Missouri
Small Business Development Center at UMKC and learned what to look
for when recruiting a board of directors.
After that, Shelley won a few pitch competitions. She was also a member
of the 2000 Pipeline fellows class, participated in Google for Startups:
Black Founders Exchange, tackled the Enterprise Center in Johnson
County’s Pitch Perfect program and more. Most recently, she became a
fellow for the first cohort of Comeback KC Ventures, a program that aims
to spur innovations to help KC recover from the pandemic.
Follow her tech journey in KC and see how you can create your own.
11 | KCSOURCELINK.COM
AltCapEDCs
Growth Mentoring Services(Enterprise Center of Johnson County)
Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP)Pipeline
ScaleUP! Kansas City (Missouri SBDC at UMKC)
Chambers of Commerce
Five Elms CapitalNueterra Capital
OpenAir Equity PartnersSummit Equity Group
Tradebot Ventures
LOANS
K-State Technology Development InstituteGotDevKC
MCC - Corporate CollegeMO DED Division of Workforce DevelopmentWorkforce Partnership
WORKFORCEDEVELOPMENT
Concentus CapitalEldar CapitalEvergy VenturesFlyover CapitalFulcrum Global CapitalInvestMidwest VentureCapital ForumKCRise FundLeawood Venture CapitalNovel Growth PartnersRoyal Street VenturesSofia Angel FundStray Dog CapitalTarget Hill CapitalTechAccel
EQUITY
Mountain Plains MinoritySupplier Development Council
INTERNATIONAL TRADEInternational Trade Council of
Greater Kansas CityKS Dept. of Commerce: Export
Assistance and MarketingMO DED International Trade
and Investment O�ceSBDCs
U.S. Dept. of Commerce/U.S. Commercial Service
World Trade Center-Kansas City
ELEVATIONLAB™ GROWTH VENTURE(Missouri SBDC at UMKC)Growth through Action Measurement &Engagement (GAME) (Kansas SBDC at JCCC)Kansas Manufacturing SolutionsMid-America Trade Adjustment Assistance CenterMissouri Enterprise
MENTORING
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
MARKET PENETRATION
OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES
EXPANSION CAPITAL
GROWTH CAPITAL
PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT
BanksCapital Access Center
Generating Income for Tomorrow (GIFT)LISC
SBA-backed loans
STAGE 4: GROWTH/EXPANSION
YOU HAVE AN ESTABLISHED BUSINESS...You have an established business and are generating a consistent flow of income. It’s been a whirlwind of a ride, and you’re ready to kick things up a notch. You’re hiring more employees, expanding your workspace and want to reach more markets, whether it’s locally or exporting globally.
BUSINESS COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS
Get well-deserved recognition by competing for
and winning locally and nationally sponsored
awards. Explore Kansas City’s most prominent
business competitions.
12 | KCSOURCELINK.COM
Greg Storm and Riddhiman Das have never shied away from new
ideas or formidable problems. Now, their startup TripleBlind, founded
in 2019, is transforming how companies provide and consume data,
empowering companies to access sensitive data in the most private and
secure setting ever.
Before they were partnering with organizations like the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology and the Mayo Clinic, they had relationships with
funders. TripleBlind received early-project funding from Digital Sandbox
KC, which helped speed up development of its product. In 2021, the
company announced an $8.2 million seed round, including support from
local venture firms, KCRise Fund and Flyover Capital. The company was
also named on Startland News’ Companies to Watch in 2021.
TRIPLEBLIND CO-FOUNDERS GO GLOBAL AFTER KANSAS CITY FUNDING WINS
RIDDHIMAN DAS AND GREG STORM
TRIPLEBLIND
Read more about their success story.
13 | KCSOURCELINK.COM
Learn about funding and financing options for your business in Kansas City. Discover when and where to find angel investments, tech grants, venture capital and more for your KC startup. Plus, learn who can help. Explore our 11-part Funding and Finances Guide:
Funding Stage Definitions The Truth about Free Government Grants Angel Investing Venture Capital Technology Grants Funded Kansas City Startups
FUNDING YOUR BUSINESS
EXPLORE THEFUNDING GUIDE
123456
WHAT TO DO NEXTThat was a lot of information, and a fair bit of inspiration. Now, you just need to
figure out your next step.
What do you need to do today to build the innovative business of your dreams?
Tell us what you need here or call us at 816-235-6500, and we will be in touch
ASAP with your Personal Action Plan, aka your custom set of next steps for your
business or business idea. And it’s all at no cost.
TAKE THE LEAD, AND DON’T WAIT ANOTHER DAY TO GET STARTED.
© 2022 Curators of the University of
Missouri on behalf of KCSourceLink
TELL US WHAT YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS