For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Correll, 620-252-5349, [email protected]
July 31, 2024
Veterans Edition of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Class Launches September 11
A special edition of the Entrepreneurial Mindset class, tailored for veterans, will commence from 6 PM to 8 PM on Wednesday, September 11 at Nordic Turbine Service, located at 3848 W Main, Independence KS. This six-session course will run weekly every Wednesday through October 16. Included in the $150 registration fee is a light dinner provided by local caterers. Participants are expected to engage with video content for 1.5 to 2 hours each week between classes. There is a Zoom option for long distance participation.
Veterans, like other segments of society, face challenges when transitioning from one stage of life to another. For veterans, after a life in which the military provides purpose, the transition to civilian life can be “dramatic,” with purpose not being defined at all. Sometimes the lack of purpose can go on for years.
The class aims to help participants find purpose by adopting an entrepreneurial mindset, learning to view problems as opportunities for solutions. “Entrepreneurs have a unique way of seeing the world,” says Correll. “They look at problems as opportunities. Often, their solutions benefit others with similar issues. This mindset isn’t easily taught through books, but by listening to entrepreneurs share their problem-solving experiences, you can start to understand their thinking process.”
The course content includes interviews with entrepreneurs who, despite challenging childhoods and limited resources, became successful problem solvers and business founders. As they honed their problem-solving skills, their confidence in both their professional and personal lives grew. This self-confidence boost is a key benefit the class aims to provide to its veteran participants.
Each class session will feature a one-hour group discussion of the week’s content, followed by a visit from a local guest entrepreneur, many of whom are veterans themselves. The sessions will be co-facilitated by Jim Correll, a seasoned Mindset facilitator, and Dan Thorenson, a Navy veteran and co-owner of Nordic Turbine Service.
Dan Thorenson, a Navy veteran, shares his experience: “I’m grateful for the training and knowledge from my military service. The transition to civilian life was dramatic, and I wish I had access to the Entrepreneurial Mindset class then. Even now, it has given me the confidence to start a business using my military skills. This class will benefit any veteran, whether they want to start a business or develop their potential within the community.” Thorenson, who served as an Aviation Machinist Mate 2nd Class (E5) in the Navy, now operates Nordic Turbine Service, LLC.
Sponsored by the Innovative Business Resource Center (IBRC), in partnership with Montgomery County E-Community and NetWork Kansas, this class is a gesture of appreciation to veterans. Jim Correll, the executive director of IBRC and retired founding director of Fab Lab ICC at Independence Community College, has facilitated nearly twenty sections of the Entrepreneurial Mindset class, impacting around 170 people since its inception in fall 2012. “Almost everyone who has taken the class reports a positive change in their thinking, with about one in ten saying it has changed their life. IBRC is proud to subsidize the cost of this class and meals as a thank you to our veterans. The $150 registration includes a $50 rebate for those who complete the class.”
Veterans can visit www.ibrcenter.org for more information and registration link. Or veterans may contact Correll directly at 620-252-5349 or [email protected].
About IBRC
Innovative Business Resource Center (IBRC) is a Kansas Not-for-Profit corporation dedicated to empowering local businesses in Montgomery County and surrounding communities. Founded in February 2010 as the Independence Business Resource Center, a transformation occurred, in November of the same year, switching “Innovative” with “Independence,” to extend mission and outreach.
In 2012, IBRC became a local partnering organization for the NetWork Kansas initiative called Entrepreneurial Community, or E-Community. Locally, Montgomery County E-Community, with funding assistance from NetWork Kansas, we provide programs to help build and foster an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Montgomery County and surrounding area.
Some of the local funding and support that have been possible through the IBRC include:
Gap financing, in conjunction with bank and other public financing, for start-up and expansion use by local/area businesses. (More than $1.46M since 2013) Many of the gap funding decisions are made by the local board of directors of IBRC.
Support for facilitation and registration cost reduction for Entrepreneurial Mindset class featuring the Ice House Entrepreneurship program. (Approx. 150 participants since 2012)
Support for Jon Schallert’s Destination Boot Camp, a marketing and strategy course. (Approx. 30 participants since about 2015)
Sponsorship of the annual Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, a business competition where youth grades 7 through 12 pitch a business. Some are existing businesses operated by the youth part time. The youth compete for $2,250 in cash prizes for the top three places as determined by local judges.
IBRC board members, all business owners or retired business owners, volunteer their time and demonstrate a genuine passion for seeing businesses flourish. Contributions, whether in the form of financial support, equipment, or materials, are fully tax deductible and play a pivotal role in fueling the growth of our local business landscape.
The IBRC Board of Directors includes:
- Brian Hight, Chair, owner Magnolia Scents by Design, Independence
- John Eubanks, Vice-Chair, former business owner and retired accounting professor at Independence Community College
- Terry Trout, owner Ane Mae’s Coffee and Sandwich House, Independence
- Doug Misch, retired owner Misch 4 x 4
- Allen Price, former business owner and president Community National Bank, Caney
- Sonya Cantrell, retired owner Cantrell’s Fine Jewelry
- Wesley Collins, owner AVA Energy Expeditions, Coffeyville
About NetWork Kansas and The E-Community Partnership
NetWork Kansas is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kansas that connects aspiring, emerging and established businesses to a deep network of business- building resource organizations in communities across the state. NetWork Kansas provides small businesses and entrepreneurs with free, easy access to the resources they need to start and grow successful businesses.
A NetWork Kansas E-Community has made a commitment to cultivating an entrepreneurial environment by identifying and developing resources to help local entrepreneurs start or grow businesses. Selected communities partner with NetWork Kansas to establish a locally-administered loan fund to assist entrepreneurs with capital, to increase connectivity to resources available to assist entrepreneurs and small businesses, to initiate activities to generate entrepreneurial development, and to participate in a statewide partnership with other E-Communities.
The E-Community Partnership, now in its seventeenth year, has grown from six communities in 2007 to 75 in 2024. To date, E-Communities have provided $21.5 million to businesses, leveraging an additional $99.2 million (bank loans, owner down payment, resource partner loans, etc.).
###
