ome months, we have big events happening and sometimes, we have many little things happening. This month is the latter with many different projects in the works. Great projects are just around the corner! Read on to hear what is happening in our district.
Women 4 Women is the newest Fab Lab ICC initiative supported by the Kauffman Foundation. This program is to help identify and remove barriers to business ownership for women. The program is being designed from the ground up with the help of Joanne Smith. They have currently identified 25 local business women and have 15 of them responded to help direct the program. They are working on a mobile Fab Lab, monthly meetings to include business education, networking and projects. These events will be free to the public and will meet in Independence at the Fab Lab on ICC campus to start. Please let me know if you have a contact to share with the program leaders.
Mandy and I are working to develop a business series for our district and surrounding area. We are planning four separate workshops that will focus on marketing and social media, financial considerations and taxes, hiring practices, and growth through customer service and networking. We will bring in experts in each of the unique business areas to give our small business entrepreneurs valuable information to help them be as successful as they can in their business. Our first session is scheduled for April 11.
Women in Ag is celebrating its 10th Annual Conference in Labette County. We are pleased to announce our keynote speaker as Jackie McClaskey, Kansas Secretary of Agriculture. We will have breakout sessions, learn about fence law, noxious weeds, and hear from our Labette County Sherriff’s department on hot topics. This event is scheduled for April 12.
On a final note, Mandy and I split attendance at the Makers Space Boot Camp in Independence. This three-day event was packed with information. We heard directly from entrepreneurs in the community on their struggles, successes, how they used the Fab Lab. Gary Schoeniger joined us for the first day and discussed how to cultivate the entrepreneurial mindset. A few of the tips for entrepreneurs that were shared are:
• “What we believe and how we think” it is key to your mindset
• Entrepreneurs are optimistic
• Entrepreneurs have to break from the past to move to the future
• If you have a dream, write it down
• Entrepreneurship is a discovery process
The next two days they shared the creation of the Fab Lab at ICC, creating community destinations, funding, running a Fab Lab, quick start basics and key items for maker’s spaces.
A take away from day one was a statement our speaker said: The world has changed in ways that now require everyone to think like an entrepreneur. This doesn’t mean that everyone needs to start a business but when we talk to our youth about what they want to be when they grow up our mindset needs to shift to asking them what they want to solve.
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