Name: Marylou DeWald Title: Director, Outreach Services and Regional Director, Small Business and Technology Development Center Organization: Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Henry W. Bloch School of Business & Public Administration, UMKC Contact Information: 4747 Troost, Suite 100 Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-6063
Marylou DeWald has come a long way from South Carolina and a career as a marine biologist. She had planned to swim with fish for the rest of her life, but a change of plans brought her to Kansas in the early 80s, where jobs in her chosen field are a bit scarce. DeWald chose to pursue a second career in entrepreneurial education and finance. She obtained an MBA in finance from Emporia State University and currently is working on her doctorate in entrepreneurial economics with the University of Newcastle in Australia.
“My only ‘real’ job was with Commerce Bank as a commercial loan officer, DeWald said. “However, most of my recent success can be related to the experiences and training I received while there.”
For 18 years, DeWald owned a consulting company that specialized in troubled companies, workouts and turnarounds, as well as entrepreneurial training. She has been involved with training for the Kauffman Foundation and the First Step Fund. She started and sold a successful dude ranch in Arkansas, and she’s been a professor in the international business division at Ottawa University since 1992.
In April, DeWald took a position at the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Henry W. Bloch School of Business & Public Administration, overseeing the integration and realignment of all business outreach programs.
“The institute is a brand new initiative at the university, so it’s exciting being a part of a start-up,” DeWald said. “My job entails everything associated with start-up operations.”
Outreach Services is the umbrella organization charged with the delivery of business-development services to the community. It provides technical assistance to businesses with potential for making an impact. Services include consulting, training, assisting with the government procurement process, assisting in obtaining Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, informational resources and advocacy.
The Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation partners with the Missouri Federal and State Technology Partnership (MoFAST), the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC), University Extension, the Missouri and Heartland Procurement and Technical Assistance Centers and iStrategy Studio. The organizations collaborate to ensure that the businesses they work with achieve growth and create an impact on the economy. Outreach Services assigns case managers to oversee their clients’ work plans with the institute’s partners. The case manager then brings in the subject matter experts (SME) necessary to fulfill the goals of the business as established in that work plan.
“We see our work with clients as a long-term relationship, not a one-off or quick-fix scenario,” DeWald said.
She takes great pride in the colleagues she has surrounded herself with.
“They’re probably the best collection of SMEs under one roof in the region,” she said. “Some of the program directors have more than 30 years of experience in their field, and several of the programs are top producers in the state.”
Outreach Services also works closely with KC SourceLink to ensure that businesses are working with the right resource partners in their region. Outreach, along with the SBDCs at Johnson County Community College and Central Missouri State University at Warrensburg, the Kansas and Missouri Women’s Business Centers and the GO Connection are in the process of establishing a region-wide roadmap for all small businesses needing assistance. The roadmap will ensure that they are working with the right provider for their business success.
“It’s an incredible collaborative effort,” DeWald said, “We have agreements with agencies on both sides of the state line to provide the expertise necessary to work in the high-tech and innovation business arenas.”
Most of all, DeWald enjoys the people she works with, namely the small business owners that she comes into contact with on a daily basis.
“It’s so exciting to see the passion of the entrepreneurs we work with,” she said. “You can’t help but stay inspired seeing their determination, dedication and drive.”
Corey Jackson is an intern with Kansas City Small Business Monthly magazine.
