Enterprise Center in Johnson County

10/07/2026

If AI could solve one frustrating problem in your business, what would you choose?

Maybe it is a repetitive task that takes too much time. Maybe customer communication could be easier. Maybe you have information about your customers, sales, or operations but need a better way to understand it. Or maybe you have a new product or service idea that could grow with the right technology behind it.

You do not have to be a tech expert to start thinking strategically about AI.

The Missouri SBDC at UMKC, AWS, and Futran Solutions are offering businesses an opportunity to explore those ideas through Build Your AI Solution with AWS.

This AI Pitch Competition is designed to help businesses think through potential AI-powered applications with access to strategy guidance, AWS expertise, project design support, possible development funding, and connections with experienced AI professionals.

For women entrepreneurs and small business owners, this is a chance to start with the real business problem first.

- What is taking too much time?
- What process needs support?
- What customer need could be served better?
- What idea is waiting for the right structure?

You do not have to begin with all the technical answers. Start with the business problem. Then explore what might be possible when the right expertise is brought to the table.

Learn more and apply:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMYzyoqa-mwScrnCM7718FcnPEKBvJNLApV3hboboMXEJqYQ/viewform

10/07/2026

Way to go Joel!

Congratulations to our Missouri SBDC State Star, Joel Barrett! This is an incredible achievement and very well-deserved to the recipient. Thank you for all of your hard work, Joel!

09/30/2026

Overland Park was recently ranked among the top cities in the country for women, and The Kansas City Star asked an important question: what helps create those conditions?

ECJC Executive Vice President and COO Rebecca Gubbels was part of that conversation, highlighting financial independence, entrepreneurship, and the importance of strong networks.

A great economic environment matters, but opportunity becomes more powerful when people can actually access it. Through ECJC and the Business Center, entrepreneurs can connect with mentoring, education, funding resources, networking, and guidance as they move from an idea to startup, growth, and sustainability.

As Rebecca told The Kansas City Star, the networks built here help connect women with choices for financial independence.

That is the work behind the ranking, and the work continues.

Read the story:

A new list highlights a 96-place gap between Overland Park and KCMO. How do local resources and financial support play a role? From Yvette Walker:

09/28/2026

09/28/2026

Building in public is everywhere right now.

Founders are sharing launches, lessons, behind-the-scenes decisions, customer feedback, revenue milestones, and the systems they are building along the way. That kind of transparency can be powerful because it can build trust, attract the right people, and help others learn from the process.

But there is one thing worth remembering: documenting the business is not the same thing as building the business.

A great post cannot replace strong systems. An audience cannot fix weak cash flow. Visibility does not remove the need for clear strategy, customer research, repeatable processes, or good decision-making.

The real value of building in public is not simply showing activity. It is showing what you are learning. What did you test? What changed? What worked? What did not? What are you building now so the same problem does not keep coming back? That is where transparency becomes more than content. It becomes evidence of growth.

If your business is working through those kinds of questions, ECJC can help with mentoring, resources, programs, and connections designed to support stronger decisions.

Build in public, but build the strategy and systems behind it too.

For business owners who are building in public, what is one thing you are comfortable sharing openly, and one part of the business you believe should stay behind the scenes?**

09/25/2026

Entrepreneurship does not only happen behind a laptop, inside a storefront, or across a conference table. Sometimes it happens in a room full of people who did not know each other an hour earlier.

Events can be a business, but they can also be one of the most powerful tools for building a business. They create opportunities to meet customers, find collaborators, learn from peers, strengthen partnerships, and put a real person behind a business name.

That matters because growth is rarely as isolated as it can feel. You can have a strong idea, a polished website, and a thoughtful strategy, but relationships still move businesses forward. Sometimes the next customer comes from introducing yourself. Sometimes the next collaborator is sitting two seats away. Sometimes the conversation after the presentation becomes more valuable than the presentation itself.

That is why networking should be about more than collecting contacts. It is about being curious enough to start a conversation, generous enough to make an introduction, and intentional enough to follow up afterward.

Businesses like Stancy Events help create the environments where those connections can happen. The best events do more than fill a room. They create the conditions for something new to begin.

So the next time you attend a workshop, conference, happy hour, or community event, do not only ask, “What can I learn?”

Ask, “Who should I meet while I am here?”

09/24/2026

AI is changing the way businesses work, but small business owners should not have to figure it out alone.

The Overland Park Chamber of Commerce is offering a FREE Small Business B(AI)sics workshop designed to help companies with 500 or fewer employees better understand where AI can actually support their business.

Facilitated by Chris Allen, the workshop will focus on practical ways AI adoption can help address common business pain points and help smaller companies stay competitive as the market continues to change.

No hype. Just an opportunity to build useful skills and better understand where AI may fit into your business.

October 8
8:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Overland Park Chamber
Free to attend, with breakfast included

If AI still feels like something your business knows it should understand but has not had time to explore, this is a good place to start.

Register here: https://business.opchamber.org/chambercalendar/Details/small-business-b-ai-sics-training-1918586

09/14/2026

A growing business needs more than revenue.

It needs a clear picture of what is actually happening financially.

SCORE Mentors' free **Demystifying Financial Foundations: Income, Assets & Cash Flow** webinar is designed to help business owners better understand the financial statements behind their businesses and use them to make stronger decisions.

Participants will explore:

• Income statements and profitability
• Balance sheets and financial position
• Assets, liabilities, and equity
• Cash flow and why available cash matters
• How financial information supports planning, borrowing, and investment decisions

The goal is not simply to produce financial statements. It is to understand what they are telling you.

For entrepreneurs preparing to grow, seek financing, or strengthen operations, financial literacy is part of building a more resilient business.

**September 22 | 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Online | Free**

Learn more and register:

In this **FREE** Webinar. Learn how to understand, create and use your financial statements · Understanding Financial Statements: o Introduces the three main financial statements: the Income Statement (Profit and […]

09/10/2026

Stop Guessing How to Divide Your Business

Learn a practical approach to dividing ownership among founders and early contributors based on what each person actually contributes.

Starting a business with other people can be exciting—but deciding who owns what can quickly become complicated. A 50/50 split may feel fair today, but what happens when one person contributes more time, money, expertise, equipment, or unpaid work than another?

Join us for Slicing Pie in KC, an interactive session introducing a dynamic approach to business ownership. You’ll learn how founders can track contributions, adjust ownership as the business evolves, and establish clearer expectations before disagreements arise.

This session is especially valuable for:

- Co-founders and business partners
- Entrepreneurs assembling a startup team
- Early contributors working without full compensation
- Business owners considering offering equity
- Advisors who support startups and emerging businesses

Stay afterward for the Women's Business Center Happy Hour to connect with entrepreneurs, business advisors, and members of Kansas City’s startup community.

Register HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/slicing-pie-in-kc-founder-equity-womens-business-center-happy-hour-tickets-1997723390438