Enrollment for Flint Hills Business Launch 2024 will open soon.
Add your name to the 2024 waitlist to be notified first when enrollment opens.
What is Flint Hills Business launch?
Flint Hills Business Launch invites early-stage business owners into a dynamic, foundational business program designed to support businesses pre-revenue through their first three years of operations. Participating business owners will learn how to start a business and establish their business for future growth through a combination of weekly classes, peer small group discussions, interactive Q&A sessions with service providers, and coursework designed to help you build your business on a strong foundation. In addition to the weekly class meetings, entrepreneurs participating potential mentor connections, networking opportunities, and valuable peer and community business connections.
This immersive, 9-week entrepreneurship education program features the nationally-recognized Kauffman FastTrac® business curriculum, created to equip new entrepreneurs and business owners with the tools needed to launch and grow successfully. This activating learning experience provides new business owners with the skills and insights, tools, resources, and peer networks necessary to start and grow successful businesses.
Business outcomes for participating business owners:
Entrepreneurs who participate in the Flint Hills Business Launch program will:
Invest 30+ hours through weekly classes, small group discussions and coursework designed to help you start a business or improve the business you’re already operating
Build valuable relationships with peer entrepreneurs, professional mentors and service providers
Develop a thorough business plan and financial forecast to prepare business for grants, loans, and other capital opportunities
Create a strong business pitch that clarifies value proposition, markets and profitability plan
Connect to crucial community resources and programs in the entrepreneurship network
Is Flint hills business launch for Me?
The Flint Hills Business Launch program is ideal for the business owner who:
Operates or plans to start a business in Pottawatomie or Riley County
Is pre-revenue or in the first three years of running their business
Is still in the side-hustle phase or early-stage of working on their business full time
Has a clearly defined product or service
Has limited time but wants to make a high impact investment in the future success of their business
Wants to build a network of other professional service providers, industry experts and entrepreneur peers
Flint Hills Business Launch Partners
Hear from these 2023 Business Launch graduates
Meet the instructor:
Tara Geiber
Tara Gieber is a serial entrepreneur in the Flint Hills. Starting her first business at 21, she has been a longtime business owner, running and operating multiple business over the past 20 years. Tara is currently the co-owner, with her husband Greg, of the MHK Caravan Co., a unique event experience company. She is also a fulltime Entrepreneurship Instructor in the College of Business at Kansas State University. Tara's entrepreneurship experiences span many different industries including; floral design, event planning, bars & beverage catering, consulting, non-profits and event rentals. Tara is also a mom of 3 boys and a Manhattan, KS native.
important Course information:
Course fee is $195 and required to be paid in full after acceptance to course. Participants who engage with seven of the nine total sessions will receive the course enrollment fee returned to them as a business investment grant at the end of the cohort.
Classes will be held virtually, once per week for nine weeks, from 6-8pm starting Thursday, September 14, 2023. The Graduation Event will be hosted in person.
See FAQs section below for additional information.
Enrollment for the next 2024 cohort will open soon.
Click below to be added to the waitlist and be notified first when enrollment opens.
Hear from a 2021 Flint Hills Business Launch graduate:
“I worked in banking for 30 years, but I did not know what to expect with getting my business going.As soon as I heard about Flint Hills Business Launch, I wanted to know how to get involved. The real thing I’ve learned is how to pitch my business, and what type of consumer I am trying to attract, and looking at competitive markets, in my case, other antique stores. It’s been so valuable to get ideas and feedback from other members of the class, and one of the ideas is creating an additional stream of revenue for us. Also, the facilitator was able to schedule one-on-one time. "
-Kaylene Plummer, Co-owner of Timeless Curiosities.
Frequently Asked Questions
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There is no cost to apply for the course, but upon acceptance, course tuition is $195, payable before class begins. Students who complete 7 of 8 of the total sessions will receive their tuition back after graduation.
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Scholarships are available and will be customized to the entrepreneur. First, apply to the course so your application will be received promptly. Second, email the Executive Director, Sarah Siders, at sarah (@) sparkmhk.com with "Business Launch scholarships" in the subject line.
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The course material would be delivered virtually from Thursday, March 9 through Thursday, April 20. The final class, Thursday, April 27, will be a graduation ceremony and pitch competition, which will be hosted in person. Other networking events will also be offered and will be in person.
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Flint Hills Business Launch is a core, entrepreneur class that is designed for the business owner who knows their product or service well, but wants to create a strong foundation in their business. Prior business education is not necessary.
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Flint Hills Business Launch is based on Kauffman FastTrac curriculum and hosted and facilitated by Spark, an entrepreneur support organization in Manhattan, Kansas. Spark facilitates the event, backed by the sponsorship and support of a number of other sponsors.
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The Flint Hills Business Launch course is sponsored by organizations in Pottawatomie or Riley County, Kansas, and this requires us to keep our resource focus in that area. To attend a FastTrac course in your area or take a self-paced class online, visit https://learn.fasttrac.org/.
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This course is designed for business owners, both current and future, in the pre-launch phase through the first three years of operations. If you have not launched yet, complete the application to be considered. Those with a clarified product or service will receive priority over those with ideas.
Read the stories of regional entrepreneurs and course graduates.
The Fall 2023 cohort starts September 14, 2023. Enrollment is now closed.
Get on the waitlist later this fall.
flint hills business launch state and regional Sponsors
Spark, in partnership with Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, Pottawatomie County Economic Development Center and Network Kansas, offers Kauffman FastTrac®-based entrepreneurial education twice a year in the spring and fall. Certified Kauffman FastTrac® facilitators teach the Flint Hills Business Launch course in an interactive environment where participants build a unique network with one another helping build their business plan.
Kauffman FastTrac® is a program of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private, nonpartisan foundation that works with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful. The Kauffman Foundation is based in Kansas City, Missouri, and uses its $2 billion in assets to collaboratively help people be self-sufficient, productive citizens. For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect with us at www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn and www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn.
