Target Businesses & Services: Aspiring/Startups, Financial, Education/Training, Strategic Planning By Ellen Jensen
Joni Cobb began helping the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation (KTEC) more than two years ago through her strategic communications consulting business, Cobb Communications LLC. While helping KTEC, she came into contact with many talented innovators across the state.
"It is for that reason that I found the opportunity to become president of the PIPELINE so compelling," Cobb said. "I am eager to identify our charter class and begin our work together."
The KTEC PIPELINE is a new program designed to identify talented and entrepreneurial Kansans, match them with best-in-class training, resources and mentors and encourage them to pursue careers as technology entrepreneurs in Kansas. Ideal candidates will likely have the following characteristics:
Graduate degree or commensurate experience in science or business
Technology-based education, professional experience or demonstrated proclivity
At least three years of business or scientific management experience
Demonstrated leadership skills and experience
Strong analytical skills and the ability to conceptualize problems through analogies
Ability to manage uncertainty and ambiguity and to take measured risks
Strong interpnd business communication skills
The organization's primary goal is to forge strong professional ties among high-potential technology entrepreneurs and the business communities in Kansas that can support their future endeavors.
In her role as president, Cobb is responsible for recruitment of innovators, mentors, advisors and others who will create the essential network of support for the participants. She also will work with the advisors to develop the program curriculum, which will be tailored to the class. Another important part of her role over the next year will be to educate stakeholders about the program and its benefit for Kansas.
Another new face, Kelly Pierce, has joined the organization to support communications.
The KTEC PIPELINE provides tremendous opportunity for entrepreneurs who are working to build fast-growth technology companies, Cobb said. Specifically, the program provides participants best-in-class training in the fundamentals of technology entrepreneurship, access to accomplished mentors from technology businesses, a one-year $36,000 stipend, access to venture capitalists with the capabilities of financing early stage technology companies, and the certain visibility this program will bring to their enterprises.
"I have been impressed and energized with the level of technology talent that has applied for the KTEC PIPELINE," Cobb said. "Kansas is the only state in the country to systematically identify its top technology talent and prepare them for the challenges and network them with resources in this way."
The PIPELINE is a statewide technology fellowship program entirely funded by KTEC. It is a part of the KTEC network, which also consists of the Centers of Excellence, the statewide business assistance incubators and the Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center.
Cobb works with Trish Costello, KTEC PIPELINE founder. Costello served as founding member and CEO of the Kauffman Fellows program for 12 years.
"Her vision, experience and national network are already proving invaluable to creating a truly cutting-edge program for Kansas," Cobb said.
The PIPELINE enjoys support throughout the entire KTEC network, which represents the premiere technology and business leaders in the state.
Cobb's plan for the program is to build a cadre of top technology innovators and leaders who will have a dramatic impact on the economy and innovation policy for the future. In the near term, she looks forward to "unveiling" the charter class of innovators on Sept. 7 in Wichita, Kan., during Kansas Day of Innovation. As soon as the charter class is finalized, they will begin their mentor matching and move toward the official program start date of January 2007.
Ellen Jensen is the managing editor of Kansas City Small Business Monthly magazine.
