May 11
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The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) Small Business & Technology Development Center (SBTDC) has received a 2011 Small Business Development Center Excellence & Innovation Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The award was presented on May 3 during the annual Kansas City Small Business Networking Breakfast at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Conference Center.
An affiliate of the UMKC Office of Research and Economic Development and the Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Centers, the UMKC-SBTDC is part of a nationwide network of SBTDC programs.
“We are very excited about receiving this honor from the SBA,” said Carmen DeHart, director of the UMKC-SBTDC. “Our team of counselors delivers extraordinary service to our clients, provide support and information for the small business and entrepreneurial community, and provide our stakeholders and partners with demonstrated results that their investments are being returned multiple times over.”
Managed and operated by the UMKC Innovation Center, the UMKC-SBTDC was founded to provide small businesses and technology venture firms in the Kansas City region with the analysis, consultation and training support they need to successfully grow and develop. The Center is comprised of experienced professionals with expertise in the areas of consulting, management, finance, marketing, international trade, retail, accounting, strategic planning and more.
“Congratulations to the UMKC-SBTDC team for this recognition of your leadership in building businesses for Kansas City and across the state,” said Maria Meyers, director of the UMKC Innovation Center. “This is a testament to your talent, creativity and dedication. A stellar performance by an outstanding team.”
In conferring the Excellence & Innovation awards, the Small Business Administration solicits proposals from about 1,100 SBTDC centers from throughout the U.S. Based on objective criteria, centers are given awards based on meeting or exceeding those criteria, which include client ratings on service and training provided by the center and the center’s success in working with stakeholders to build relationships.
“This is another demonstration of how UMKC works with the Kansas City community to build links and develop partnerships that bring economic development to our city, our state and to the region,” said UMKC Chancellor Leo E. Morton.
About the UMKC Innovation Center
From whiteboard to boardroom, the UMKC Innovation Center partners with the university and the community to spark entrepreneurial efforts within our region and across the country. With a suite of high-impact programs, the center helps emerging and existing business owners hone their business basics, evaluate commercialization opportunities, and connect with the right resources at the right time. Innovation Center programs include the Small Business & Technology Development Center, U.S.SourceLink, KCSourceLink, KCArtistLink, KCVetLink and MOSourceLink.
