Flint Hills Business Launch Celebrates Fall 2023 Graduation, Pitch Competition
Flint Hills Business Launch proudly presents the Fall 2023 class of current and future entrepreneurs who have successfully completed Spark’s core business fundamental class, a 9-week program. The graduation ceremony and pitch competition, featuring 15 participating entrepreneurs and 12 businesses, took place Thursday, November 9, 2023, at the Union Pacific Depot in downtown Manhattan.
This season’s cohort was comprised of entrepreneurs from across Pottawatomie, Riley, and Geary counties in Kansas, who engaged in the twice-annual, virtual class designed for entrepreneurs who are pre-launch through the first three years of operations. The class was facilitated by serial entrepreneur, owner of MHK Caravan Co and K-State Entrepreneurship Instructor, Tara Geiber.
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Ia's Kitchen brings authentic Puerto Rican cuisine and culture to Junction City, central Kansas area
During #HispanicHeritageMonth, we will feature the inspiring journeys, diverse backgrounds, and exceptional achievements of Hispanic entrepreneurs in the Flint Hills region who have left an indelible mark on their industries and communities. Join us as we explore the stories of resilience, creativity, and success that make up the spirit of Hispanic entrepreneurship. In this interview, we meet Yahaira Lorenzo-Jaime, a Hispanic entrepreneur and co-owner of Ia’s Kitchen in Junction City, along with her husband, Luis Cubero. These features are written in both English and Spanish.
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Spark hosts fifth entrepreneur education cohort, adds mentorship and pitch competition to improved course
To meet the critical need for business education and enhance the long-term success of emerging businesses in the Greater Manhattan region, Spark, a Manhattan, Kansas-based entrepreneur support organization, will host its fifth entrepreneur education cohort starting March 2023. The course, titled Flint Hills Business Launch, is an 8-week, immersive experience designed to provide foundational business education to entrepreneurs who are pre-launch through the first three years of operations.
The online course is hosted for two hours, one week night a week for eight weeks, and includes Q&A with regional service providers, small group breakout discussion and teaching on business fundamentals, as well as in person events, mentorship and peer support. Class size is kept small to optimize engagement and facilitator to student ratios.
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Veteran entrepreneur expands online micro roaster coffee to retail, focusing on future franchise opportunities
Galaxy Girl Coffee began as an online, micro-batch, coffee roasting service but recently expanded into a retail location at Manhattan Town Center. “I am so glad that circumstances caused me to open up my shop instead of being purely mobile,” says owner, Christine Ball. Since opening her store in Manhattan Town Center, she has been able to expand not only her business but her perspective. “Business is about relationships, and I have met some amazing people since getting to my location in Manhattan Town Center,” says Christine.
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This 11-year-old’s lemonade sells out in hours at Hy-Vee; Here’s how he hopes to extend the shelf life of his young family business
The all-natural, fresh-squeezed lemonade made by 11-year-old Tre Glasper and his family in a Manhattan commercial kitchen is making its way to Kansas City thanks to a tart partnership with one of the Midwest’s leading grocery chains.
Tre typically sells about 100 bottles of Tre’s Squeeze — an amount that takes two to three hours to produce and package — a week in Manhattan, he said. The lemonade often sells out quickly at the Manhattan Hy-Vee, where the boy’s product has been stocked and sold for the past year, added his mother, Sheila Ellis-Glasper. After restocking, 100 to 150 bottles often sell out over the course of a weekend.
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Women-Owned Businesses Partner to Build Community, Offer Education About 'Where Our Food Comes From'
One of Kasey’s most meaningful partnerships to date is with Pacheco Beef, another local women-owned business and small cattle ranch operated by Wrenn Pacheco. “To me, coming from an agricultural background, meals are the most important part of the day. Bringing food in allows families to play, eat and gather. The connection opportunity, especially for children, allows families to put the screens away and connect with each other.” She adds, “With our partnership with Pacheco Beef, we are offering their grazing cups and boxes, featuring Pacheco sausage and Alma cheese. We are trying to keep it local and look for ways to support the community and other business owners.”
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Veteran Restaurant Owner Introduces Haitian Food and Culture to Junction City, Disney, and the World
Martine Chery-Hilaire, owner of Chez Matou Green Machine food truck, is no stranger to resourcefulness. Born and raised in Haiti, she moved to the United States in 2003 and began working a variety of retail jobs. She decided to join the military when her first daughter was born. As her four-year military contract ended, she was stationed on Fort Riley and decided to stay in the Junction City area. Throughout the various jobs she worked and the cities she called home, her Haitian culture was always an anchor for Martine, and it was no surprise when it eventually led to an entrepreneurial opportunity. Long before she opened a restaurant though, she always served Haitian food from her home, eventually hosting pop-ups and expanding to cook more types of food. As the demand for the unique taste of Haitian cuisine grew, Martine saw the opportunity to officially start a business.
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DoughBro founders share their love of food, music and giving back with an incubator kitchen
Settling into a new location with new opportunities allowed them to commit to and expand on their DoughBro brand, with origins in their family values of food, music, and community. Melissa Asper grew up in a kitchen with her parents and grandparents, and the family kitchen was where she learned many of the recipes for which DoughBro is loved in Manhattan. “My grandma loved to feed people, and I learned that from her. My love language is feeding people. My grandpa taught me how to make gravy people freak out about. My mom taught me to make bierocks,” says Melissa.
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Nico's Little Italy Serves Up Tasty, Traditional Italian Dining in Aggieville
Nico’s Little Italy owner, Nicolette Unruh, saw an opportunity in the Manhattan market for Italian dining in Manhattan. With the successful history behind Martinelli’s in Salina, as well as their established recipes, they believed there would be a good response for this culinary option in the Manhattan area. “We are part of a long-running, successful business in Salina. Tony and his family have developed the menu and recipes over 20 years, and we felt that there was a need for quality, affordable Italian food in Manhattan.” Focusing on serving their time-tested Italian recipes in their Aggieville location, Nicolette shared that the secret behind their success lies in making fresh food and staying local. “We are locally owned and operated, but also have been doing what we are doing for over 20 years. We are a scratch kitchen, so we make our sauces, cook our pastas daily, and make about 80% of our menu in house!”
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Aggieville Draft House Adds Upscale Menu, Vibes to Kite’s Tradition
Serial restaurant entrepreneur, Scott Sieben, began working at the Aggieville tradition that is Kite’s while a freshman at Kansas State University. “After graduation I stayed on with Kite's and oversaw three different locations that they had. In 2010, I purchased Mr. K's on the west side of Manhattan. In 2018 Kite's came up for sale and I took the opportunity to take over where I started.” Not only did Kite’s adjust to add Aggieville Draft House, but adding a more upscale dining experience sets them apart in the Aggieville district. “We are located in the heart of Aggieville and will be able to offer a higher-end dining experience in a college district but still be able to keep it under the Kite's roof that has been serving K-State & the Manhattan area since 1954.”
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Veteran-Owned Route Step Farm Coffee Barn Brings Business to Rural Community
Route Step Farm Coffee Barn provides sustainably sourced food and locally roasted coffee to the rural community of Onaga, Kansas. Open for under a year, Gail Wege’s veteran-owned and woman-owned business is creating a new hangout for her town and the surrounding area, with plans and opportunities for growth and additional product distribution.
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