The partnership between the Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) Bookstore and the college's Workforce Development department (WFD) creates a vehicle for products made by KCKCC students, faculty, and staff, to be sold through the bookstore.
"KCKCC MADE provides a gateway for students, faculty, and staff to sell the great products that they create, to give these entrepreneurs the chance they may not have otherwise," says Marisa Gray, Business Liaison, at KCKCC and co-organizer of KCKCC MADE. “KCKCC MADE ensures that the appropriate resources and support services are available and makes certain valuable entrepreneurial and business start-up lessons are learned.”
All products sold by KCKCC MADE go through a selection process which includes a meeting with a WFD representative and a comprehensive and confidential consulting session with a Kansas Small Business Development Center consultant. Applications may be requested by emailing KCKCCMADE@kckcc.edu.
"We want to provide an opportunity for students to learn about the realities of retail without all of the risks," said John Burright, director of KCKCC Bookstore operations.
Products that are available include pottery, artwork, furniture, clothing, jewelry, puzzles, BBQ sauce, and much more. Students, faculty, and staff who are selected to have their products sold through KCKCC MADE will receive 70 percent of the sales collected.
The team of KCKCC MADE is guiding talent through the retail process.
"It is important to promote individual innovation and entrepreneurship in academics as part of our strategy for spreading entrepreneurial thinking across the KCKCC campus," said Marvin Hunt, Dean of Business and Continuing Education. "We encourage community members to visit the KCKCC MADE section of the bookstore and check out, or better yet, purchase items from the entrepreneurs in our community!”
For more information, contact Jay Matlack at 913-288-7210 or KCKCCMADE@kckcc.edu.
