Over the last year, our entrepreneurial ecosystem has identified what is necessary for Kansas City to be a place where everyone is empowered to pursue their passion through entrepreneurship, advancing an innovative and prosperous community.  One of the seven imperatives to achieve that vision is to build entrepreneur support capacity in two primary ways – by increasing funding and by providing professional development opportunities for ESO staff.

After asking hundreds of Resource Partner staff what their greatest needs are at three regional initiatives – an August 2022 Connecting E-ship Communities workshop, ESO Day as part of GEWKC 2023, and the ecosystem planning process early in 2024 – KCSourceLink is pleased to be launching the

ESO Foundation Professional Development Program.

Four initial program education modules have been developed and will be offered through this program.

1. Entrepreneur-led Economic Development (ELED): Examine how entrepreneurship drives economic growth, job creation, innovation, and diversity. Discuss current trends in ELED and consider practical approaches for tracking and reporting entrepreneurial activities to showcase impact.
2. Navigating the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Explore the elements of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, assess the current state of local ecosystems, and identify potential partnerships to improve support for entrepreneurs.
3. Data Measurement and Reporting: Focus on key performance indicators that align with organizational goals and fundraising strategies and explore techniques for effectively reporting these metrics through storytelling to engage diverse audiences.
4. Cultural Competency: Learn strategies for fostering inclusive and collaborative leadership, the tools for developing a shared language around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and how to build meaningful relationships within diverse communities to strengthen coalitions and community ties.

The pilot program is free and is open to all ESO staff. Participation will be limited to 20 people, who will be selected based on their application.

Those accepted for the pilot program will first gather for a brief orientation session on February 14. The full courses will take place on February 28, March 28, April 25 and May 16. Sessions currently are planned to be offered at the UMKC Innovation Center. However, other resource partners may host one of the sessions.

More information, including how to apply, can be found at this link: KCSourceLink ESO Foundations Professional Development Program. After the application has been submitted and accepted, an actual registration link will follow, along with a discount code for the free program.