Supercharge Southwest Missouri (Supercharge SWMO)

Abstract

Supercharge Southwest Missouri is a collaborative, regional initiative designed to address the significant challenges facing entrepreneurs, business owners and innovators as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and directly support the needs of building and sustaining an entrepreneurial ecosystem. The program leverages a broad network of partners to provide unmatched resources to innovators and job creators who are starting, scaling, or innovating throughout southwest Missouri.

Through the grant funded program, participants unlock access to no-cost resources including business consulting, executive level mentorship networks, on-demand training and office hours with professional service providers, and custom online portals for regional communities, making it easy for entrepreneurs to find the information needed to successfully start a business in any community in southwest Missouri.

Supercharge Southwest Missouri leverages innovation and entrepreneurship assets across 16+ counties to create and amplify new technologies, businesses, resources, capital investment strategies, and more. The program is designed to help the region respond to and thrive in today’s ever-changing business environment due to COVID-19. The program accelerates high quality job growth, creates economic opportunities, and supports the next generation of industry-leading companies in southwest Missouri.

Over a two year period the initiative is expected to: Serve more than 500 unique businesses, Result in 40 new businesses started, Result in 360 jobs created, Result in $20M in capital and equity secured by client companies.