The KU University Center — KU Entrepreneurship Works for KS — is a collaborative effort between the KU Center for Entrepreneurship in the School of Business and the Institute for Policy & Social Research at the University of Kansas. It is funded by a University Center Program grant from the Economic Development Administration with the U.S. Department of Commerce.

About

The KU University Center (UC) utilizes university assets to strengthen innovation and competiveness in Kansas and the Midwest through unique and pragmatic programs in entrepreneurship, the biosciences, and technology. The UC leverages the university’s unique assets—faculty and staff expertise, student manpower, and informational resources, including GIS — to capitalize on economic enhancement opportunities. Specifically, the UC works with both the private and public sectors to 1) identify new industries and businesses that can leverage the strengths of their region; 2) identify expansion opportunities for existing businesses; 3) provide technical assistance to help existing businesses accelerate growth; and 4) support local economic development organizations through sophisticated research, analytical business development tools, and strategic planning.

Activities

RedTire, LLC Addresses business shuttering in the rural Midwest by matching retiring business owners with successors from Kansas and other key colleges in the region.	Jayhawk Consulting Provides low-cost consulting assistance to Kansas businesses facing diverse challenges.	Entrepreneurship Education for Everyone (E3) A four-course sequence designed to help start, finance, plan, and launch your own business offered to business and non-business students at KU and elsewhere.
The Catalyst A business accelerator with the Bioscience & Technology Business Center (BTBC) that provides student entrepreneurs with resources critical to success.	Kansas Regional Data Portal Data portal that assists Kansas regions with their CEDs and other economic development decision-making and planning.	Other Data Resources ResourceNet County Profiles Economic Health Index Kansas Data

Contact Information

Wallace W. Meyer, Jr. Director of Entrepreneurship Programs School of Business Capitol Federal Hall, Room 1030E 1654 Naismith Drive Lawrence, Kansas 66045 (785) 864-7583 wmeyerjr@ku.edu

Genna Hurd Associate Researcher Institute for Policy & Social Research 1541 Lilac Lane, 607 Blake Hall Lawrence, Kansas 66045-3129 (785) 864-4618 ghurd@ku.edu