In-depth by e2: Entrepreneurial systems shine during crisis

By: Don Macke, e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems The Hospitality Industry Relief Emergency (HIRE) Fund is a shining example of the power of eSystems during economic crisis. In just two weeks, NetWork Kansas and its partners were able to deploy $5 million in emergency loans to Kansas restaurants, bars and hotels. We detail how they were able to accomplish this...

8 Businesses Receive Funding from NetWork Kansas During April

E-Community Loans -  ~Mt. Oread Pharmacy in Lawrence. Partner: Lawrence Chamber of Commerce ~Jokir, LLC in Hays. Partner: Grow Hays ~K&K Car Wash, LLC in Kanopolis. Partner: Ellsworth Co Econ Dev Corp. ~T-Rocks Child Care Center, LLC in Topeka. Partner: Shawnee County Extension Council Startup Kansas -  ~Reynolds' Properties, LLC in Cherryvale. Partner: Innovative Business Resource...

e2’s COVID-19 Field News

By: Don Macke, e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Over the past month our conversations surrounding the pandemic and entrepreneurs have led us to believe there are some common threads to those businesses that will survive and thrive beyond this pandemic: They were some of the quickest to recognize the potential impact and begin...

NetWork Kansas discusses rapid loan deployments in response to COVID-19

By Dell Gines, Senior Community Development Advisor Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Used with permission Steve Radley and Erik Pedersen, president and vice president of NetWork Kansas, discuss rapid deployment of emergency small business credit during the COVID-19 pandemic with Kansas City Fed Senior Community Development Advisor Dell Gines. They share how they leveraged the NetWork Kansas...

3 Businesses Receive Funding from NetWork Kansas During March

E-Community Loans - ~Metier USA, LLC in Plainville. Partner: County of Rooks Startup and Capital Multiplier Programs -  ~Events, LLC in Great Bend. Partner: Great Plains Development Inc. KCIF -  ~Clearwater Wellness Center in Clearwater. Paid in full - Congratulations to the following firms that paid their loans in full. E-Community  ~Flint Hills Fitness, LLC in Wamego. Partner:...

In-Depth by e2: e2’s Rural Community Prosperity Development Framework

e2’s Rural Community Prosperity Development Framework By: Don Macke, e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems The development goals communities set tend to define how we measure success. If our goals are unclear, we tend to drift in our economic development work. If our goals are modest, we tend to achieve modest change. Work by the...

In-Depth by e2: Community Quality of Life Placemaking

Community Quality of Life Placemaking: An Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Design Element  By: Don Macke, e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Every American community can thrive and should have the opportunity to be successful. We are employing our Community Prosperity Framework whereby every community willing to be smart and work hard can achieve prosperity. Within this framework there...

$5 million of HIRE Fund loans have been awarded to Kansas hospitality businesses

Source: Kansas Department of Commerce Topeka, Kan. – Within 48 hours of Governor Laura Kelly announcing the establishment of the Hospitality Industry Relief Emergency (HIRE) Fund, all $5 million allocated for the loan program have been awarded. “The hospitality industry in Kansas was one of the first to be hit financially by...

HIRE funds exhausted; SBA Disaster Loans available

Compiled by NetWork Kansas NetWork Kansas staff worked through the weekend processing more than 1,000 applications and have made notifications to applicants. For those who applied who have not received notification, NetWork Kansas is asking people to check spam folders then email [email protected] to inquire about their application status. Though HIRE loan program...

SBA announces Kansas businesses eligible for low-interest disaster loans in response to COVID-19 impact

Compiled by NetWork Kansas The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to Kansas small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza has announced. SBA acted under its own authority, as provided by the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations...