Enterprise Center in Johnson County

06/13/2026

Missouri founders building high-growth companies through science, technology, and innovation should have this on their radar.

The IDEA Fund is Missouri’s state-sponsored venture capital program designed to make equity-based investments into early-stage companies raising venture capital and committed to scaling in Missouri.

Beginning with this cycle, investment amounts have increased across all three programs:

TechLaunch: $100K to $250K for companies raising $500K to $1M
Seed Capital: $250K to $1M for companies raising $1M to $5M
Venture Capital: $1M to $4M for companies raising $5M to $20M

Since January 2023, the IDEA Fund has awarded $42 million in investments to 120 Missouri startups and completed more than $16 million in direct investments.

Key dates:
Info Session: June 16, 2026
Application Deadline: August 4, 2026
Investment Decisions Announced: End of October 2026

If you are a Missouri startup preparing to raise capital, this is an opportunity worth exploring - https://www.missouritechnology.com/venture-capital-investments/

06/02/2026

This is a valuable opportunity for organizations, founders, and ecosystem partners working to strengthen entrepreneurship in Kansas City.

Applications are now open for KCSourceLink’s first funding cycle of **Forging the Future of Entrepreneurship in Kansas City**, a regional initiative designed to support collaborative projects and pilot programs that help entrepreneurs start, grow, and scale.

This opportunity may be a fit for entrepreneur support organizations, nonprofit organizations, founders, and collaborative teams working on ideas that benefit Missouri-based entrepreneurs.

Awards are expected to range from $5,000 to $12,000, with additional stipends available for Action Team Leads helping coordinate collaborative efforts.

Key dates:
Applications open: June 1, 2026
Virtual information session: June 4, 2026
Applications close: July 5, 2026

If you are building something that could strengthen our region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, this is worth a look.

Applications are now open for KCSourceLink's first funding cycle of Forging the Future of Entrepreneurship in Kansas City, a regional initiative designed to strengthen the systems, organizations and partnerships that help entrepreneurs start, grow and scale businesses.

Through this funding opportunity, KCSourceLink will support collaborative projects and pilot programs that address shared challenges across Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. This opportunity may be a fit for entrepreneur support organizations, nonprofit organizations, founders and collaborative teams working on projects that benefit Missouri-based entrepreneurs.

Individual awards are expected to range from $5,000 to $12,000, with additional $3,500 stipends available for Action Team Leads helping coordinate collaborative efforts. As projects move forward, KCSourceLink will host an annual regional showcase to highlight the progress, partnerships and stories emerging through Forging the Future. KCSourceLink will also develop a regional dashboard featuring supported initiatives and ecosystem impact metrics, including job growth, entrepreneur support activity and capital access outcomes.

Key dates for the first funding cycle:
Applications open: June 1, 2026
Applications close: July 5, 2026
Virtual information session: June 4, 2026

Please consider sharing this opportunity with organizations, founders, civic partners, or ecosystem leaders who may have a collaborative idea to move forward. To learn more and apply, check the link in the comments.

05/29/2026

Showing up when customers are searching online is more important than ever. Grow with Google and Kansas City World Cup 2026 are hosting this free webinar to help you convert searches into visits. Register Here:

Ready for your business to be found online? Grow with Google and KC Game Plan invite you to a free webinar.

05/28/2026

**Register by Friday, May 29**

This two-hour Cultural and Language Education Seminar is designed specifically to help your organization prepare for the global spotlight and confidently engage with guests from around the world.

Presented by Visit Kansas City Kansas and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City KS with support from the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), Kansas City.

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05/15/2026

Please join us in celebrating Sherry Turner as she prepares to step away from her leadership role at the Enterprise Center in Johnson County this June.

Sherry’s impact on ECJC, the Women's Business Center, One KC for Women, and the Kansas City community has been extraordinary. Through her leadership, vision, and deep commitment to opportunity, countless entrepreneurs and small business owners have gained access to the support, mentorship, and resources needed to grow.

As the founder of OneKC for Women, Sherry helped create a more connected and collaborative support system for women across our region. Her work has strengthened pathways to business ownership, employment, and economic mobility in ways that will continue to shape this community for years to come.

While she is stepping away from her role at ECJC, Sherry’s commitment to Kansas City remains strong. She will continue investing in this community through new initiatives and projects that carry her mission forward.

We are deeply grateful for Sherry’s leadership and lasting impact, and we are excited to celebrate all she has accomplished and all that is still ahead.

Read more on the WBC blog: https://kansascitywbc.com/blog/183

05/14/2026

Communities like Cameron are showing what is possible when preparation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration come together.

We love seeing how the Kickin’ It In Cameron campaign is creating momentum by bringing local leaders, businesses, and community partners together around a shared vision. This is a strong example of how innovation does not only happen in big cities. It also happens when communities work together, think creatively, and rally around opportunity.

Efforts like this highlight an important truth for small businesses and local economies alike. Collaboration breeds innovation, and innovation creates new possibilities.

Excited to see Cameron getting well-deserved attention for this work!

Some smaller cities near Kansas City are seeing more early success than the host city.

05/06/2026

Some of the most important work in business does not look impressive in the moment.

It looks like showing up when sales are slow.
- Following up again.
- Testing a new idea after one did not work.
- Serving customers well even when things feel uncertain.
- Making steady improvements while waiting for results.

Question: What helps you stay consistent when results take time?

For small businesses and startups, consistency is often the difference between momentum and burnout.

Example:
A business owner may spend months refining their offer, improving operations, and building trust before growth shows up in the numbers. From the outside, it can look quiet. From the inside, that consistency is what makes future growth possible.

Progress is not always loud. Sometimes it is simply repeated effort in the right direction.

05/04/2026

Our partners at NXTUS are now accepting applications for the 2026 NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series.

This free program is built for growth-minded entrepreneurs who want to better understand how to connect with established businesses and community organizations as vendors, collaborators, and potential partners.

Participants will gain:

✔️Insight into how leading organizations evaluate business partners
✔️Real-time market feedback from the voice of the customer
✔️Warm connections to prospective customers
✔️Practical prep for future business development conversations
✔️An Enterprise Engagement Playbook to help guide the process

There is no cost to participate and no equity is taken in your business.

If you are a Midwest startup looking to grow strategically, this is a strong opportunity to explore.

Apply today - https://www.nxtus.io/enterpriseseries