For Immediate Release
Contact: Jim Correll, 620-252-5349, jimc@ibrcenter.org
New Veterans Edition of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Class Launches January 14th
A new edition of the Entrepreneurial Mindset class, tailored for veterans, will launch on Tuesday, January 14, from 6 PM to 8 PM at Nordic Turbine Service, Independence, KS. This six-week program will run every Tuesday through February 18, offering a unique space for veterans to explore purpose and develop confidence through an entrepreneurial lens. The $150 registration fee includes a light dinner from local caterers and a $50 rebate upon course completion. Participants also engage with video content between sessions, and each meeting features discussions and guest visits from veteran entrepreneurs.
Transitioning from military to civilian life can be challenging for many veterans, often with a sudden loss of purpose. This class is designed to help veterans harness an entrepreneurial mindset to see opportunities in problem-solving, a skill they can use to start a business or grow in their community. Jim Correll, a seasoned facilitator, explains, “This class is more like a discussion group where participants gain insights from the real-world experiences of entrepreneurs.”
Jim Correll, director of IBRC, joins co-facilitator Dan Thorenson, Navy veteran and co-owner of Nordic Turbine Service. Reflecting on his own transition, Thorenson shares, “My military training was invaluable, but adapting to civilian life was a dramatic shift. This class would have been a great asset then, and it has helped me now build my business using those skills.”
Sponsored by the Innovative Business Resource Center (IBRC) with Montgomery County E-Community and Network Kansas, this class is offered as a way to give back to veterans. Having impacted nearly 170 individuals since the inception of this class in 2012, IBRC is proud to subsidize the class as an appreciation for veterans.
For more information or to register, visit www.ibrcenter.org, or contact Jim Correll at 620-252-5349 or jimc@ibrcenter.org. There is a Zoom option for distant participants.
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 eCommunity 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.).
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