From making salsa, dry rub and candy catering to lawn services, commercial lighting and memorial service photography, graduates of the Operation Jumpstart class at Kansas City Kansas Community College took the first steps in developing a feasibility plan for their business concepts.
Sponsored by KCKCC’s Workforce Development, AT&T, the Wyandotte Economic Development Council and Kansas Small Business Development Center-JCCC, 15 entrepreneurs successfully completed the comprehensive 11-week class.
The graduates are Denise Archer, Brenda Flournoy, Pamela Garvin, Shelly Hartl, John Honneycutt, Mary Johnston, Daniel McLean, Diane McLean, Charity Morgan, Pamela Ojini, mark Osborne, Catherine Rico, Carol Waldsworth, LaVita Williams and Lal Zuali.
“This is indeed a great accomplishment,” said Jay Matlack of KCKCC Workforce Development. “The community is going to directly benefit from the products and services these graduates will be bringing to KCK.”
The areas of entrepreneurship included sewing, photography, social market, commercial lighting, financial advising, writing, lawn services and candy catering to making salsa and vegan food and establishing a grocery store and grocery story web kiosk.
Facilitated by Judy Bumpus of Bloom Business Consulting, students not only heard guest speakers and entrepreneurs bring real world experience to the classroom but were able to work closely with highly skilled professional business coaches who assisted in developing step-by-step plans through various activities, worksheets and in-depth information.
Persons interested in the 2012 Fall Semester class are urged to contact KCKCC Workforce Development at 913-288-7210 or jmatlack@kckcc.edu.
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PHOTO: One of 15 graduates of the Operation Jumpstart entrepreneurship class at Kansas City Kansas Community College, Lal Zuali (right) gets a congratulatory hug from Sherri Baker, one of the classes’ coaches and the owner of The Market Department. (KCKCC Photo)
