Name: Marti Lee Title: Executive Director Organization: Southtown Council Contact Information: 6814 Troost Kansas City, MO 64131 (816) 523-5553 www.southtown.org
Target Businesses & Services: Aspiring/Start-ups and Established/Expanding, Education/Training, Strategic Planning
For 17 years, Marti Lee has served as executive director of the Southtown Council, an organization representing businesses and neighborhood associations in South Kansas City.
The organization serves the area of Brookside from Main to Watkins Drive and 47th Street to 75th Street.
“I was the Council’s first executive director, and my responsiblities and achievements in regard to what we do and what we provide has tripled since I started,” said Lee.
After about a decade into her tenure at the Southtown Council, Lee also became the executive director of the Waldo Area Business Association and the Brookside Business Association.
All three organizations are non-profit associations designed to facilitate partnerships among businesses, institutions and neighborhood groups in order to create an environment that promotes economic development and growth.
“Our goal is to strengthen existing businesses and welcome new ones, said Lee. “We want to make these areas a great place to live, work and conduct business.”
Small businesses seek out the services of the three organizations to obtain networking and marketing opportunities, she explained. “We promote and provide networking and marketing opportunities, as well as provide referrals to resource organizations and City Hall,” she said. “We sponsor monthly coffees and luncheons as well as annual events and award programs.”
A separate board of directors, comprised of area business owners, civic leaders and city officials, oversees each of the three organizations. All of the organizations are affliated with the Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), GO Connection, SCORE, the Small Business Administration (SBA), GSA and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Lee said the Southtown Council has been spearheading a 63rd Street Corridor Plan, designed to direct future development along 63rd St. from Wornall to Prospect. The Council also support the Troost 2005 plan, designed to revitalize Troost Avenue between 47th and 63rd streets.
All three organizations actively work with city leaders to promote neighborhood improvements, Lee said. “We get involved with everything from capital improvements such as streets and sidewalks, to business revitalization and housing. We promote each area’s resources and achievements.”
Name: Lori Kravets Title: Client Services Manager Organization: Kansas Women’s Business Center (KWBC) Contact Information: 8527 Bluejacket Lenexa, KS 66215 (913) 492-5922 www.kansaswbc.com
As the Kansas Women’s Business Center’s first full-time client services manager, Lori Kravets is charged with planning services and programs for the Center’s clients. Kravets, who joined the KWBC’s staff in January, is responsible for designing and implementing classes, mentoring groups, networking events and counseling for aspiring and existing women business owners.
A native of Wichita, Kansas, Kravets has an MBA in finance from Emporia State University. In addition to teaching business courses for eight years as a college professor, she operated the associate small business development center at Ottawa University.
Kravets also has entrepreneurial experience. She is the founder of Building Blocks, a consulting business specializing in refinancing and valuation of small business. In her new role, Kravets is responsible for planning the services that current and prospective women business owners need to achieve economic success. The non-membership, non-profit organization provides clients with business knowledge about a wide range of issues involved in running a successful business, including finance, marketing, business management and government procurement.
“We’re currently in the middle or our third year of operation, and we’ve served more than 1,000 clients,” said Kravets.
Clients receive ongoing counseling and mentoring, and they may also participate in workshops and other educational opportunities, said Kravets. “We have the resources and contacts women business owners need, whether it’s developing a feasibility study or a long-term plan,” she said. “We accomplish this using a network of organizations.”
“We do charge fees for our programs, but they’re affordable fees, and scholarships are available,” she said. “Money is not a barrier to receiving our services.”
Because the KWBC is funded through a five-year buy-down grant from the Small Business Administration (SBA), it is a partner with all SBA-oriented organizations.
In addition, KWBC partners with the Kansas Department of Human Resources and is a Kauffman Foundation FastTrac provider. Other funding is provided through the Johnson County Enterprise Center, donations and program fees.
To better serve clients outside of the Kansas City area, in March the KWBC added a mentor teleconference program. The program allows interested women across the state to participate in a teleconferencing call once a month.
“Online, Internet counseling is already being offered by the Center, which allows women business owners throughout the state of Kansas to have access to our services,” Kravets said.
