New Loan Programs Launch in Manhattan Region to Propel Small Business Growth

MANHATTAN, KS – In a collaborative effort aimed at nurturing local entrepreneurship, $350,000 in new capital is now at the fingertips of area entrepreneurs for the upcoming year. This financial boost comes through the launch of two entrepreneurial funding programs—the Elevate Micro-Loan Program and the NetWork Kansas Empower Fund. A consortium of key entrepreneurial ecosystem partners, including the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, Spark, Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills, K-State Innovation Partners, the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, and NetWork Kansas, have joined forces to make this initiative a reality.

To complement these new initiatives, the Manhattan region also benefits from existing NetWork Kansas E-Community and GrowKS loan programs, ensuring a comprehensive suite of resources for local businesses. Interested entrepreneurs can find detailed information and check eligibility on the Spark website at funding.sparkmhk.com, where an online Inquiry Form is available to start the process.

From Service to Scents: Veteran Entrepreneurs Share a Tale of Resilience and Craft

During #NationalVeteransMonth, we feature stories and interviews with Veteran entrepreneurs from across the Greater Manhattan and Flint Hills region. The following interview features Shawnette and Darryl Williams, Army Veterans and owners of Positively Soap and Candle Co., located in Manhattan. Customers can locate their safe, premium and ethnical products on their website, and at a number of retail locations throughout the Flint Hills. Read their Veteran entrepreneur story here.

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Army Veteran lives his values of mentorship, work ethic in Junction City screenprinting shop and beyond

During #NationalVeteransMonth, we feature stories and interviews with Veteran entrepreneurs from across the Greater Manhattan and Flint Hills region. The following interview features Shawn Robison, Army Veteran and owner of Honor Screenprinting and Embroidery, located in Junction City. Shawn’s commitment to business excellence extends to investing in his community through education and mentorship, not only in Junction City but throughout the Flint Hills. As Vice Chair of the newly-formed Flint Hills Vetrepreneur Foundation, Shawn hopes to increase his impact in supporting Veteran-owned businesses through the foundation’s values: advocacy, community and training.

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Veteran businessSarah SidersNovember 7, 2023veteran owned business

Manhattan-based tattoo artist offers ‘second chances’ to trafficking survivors through tattoo cover ups, safe spaces

Matt Goss, owner of Syndicate Tattoo, has been a tattooist for the last 17 years of his life. But it was a career path he did not see coming. Early in his career, he served in the Army and worked as a receptionist at a tattoo shop on the weekends. After 10 years at the shop, Matt finished his second Associates degree in auto mechanics and began searching for what was next. Upon sharing his plans to leave the tattoo shop, the owners offered him an opportunity. “The shop asked me if I ever thought about tattooing, and of course I had.” Matt committed to learning the craft and worked with the shop as a tattooist for the next five years. “Eventually, I branched out, and we opened Syndicate downtown 12 years ago.”

Veteran businessMadi QuinnJanuary 10, 2023veteran owned business

Veteran-Owned Landscape Company Keeps Manhattan Roots, Unique Designs Central to Business

When Derek Taussig, veteran entrepreneur and owner of Taussig Landscape, was only eight years old, he noticed something a neighbor boy had that he wanted: a nice bike. “I asked my dad for it, and he said, ‘You can have it, but you have to work for it,’” says Derek. Determined to get his new bike, he started mowing his grandfather’s yard to earn enough money for the purchase. After countless yards mowed, eight-year-old Derek bought a new chrome Schwinn bicycle from Pathfinder in downtown Manhattan.

A native of Manhattan, Derek grew up with a father who was a landscape architect and K-State faculty for 40 years. It might seem natural that Derek would also have landed in a similar career. Looking back however, Derek credits his decision to build a landscaping business as less about choosing a familiar career and more of an outworking of the entrepreneurial drive and work ethic he learned from his father. “I did not inherit a landscape-world drive from my dad, but I did get the entrepreneur spirit, motivation to be your own boss and work ethic from my dad,” says Derek.

Veteran businessSarah SidersNovember 10, 2022veteran owned business

Solving Tech Challenges and Giving Back Are Core Motives for Local Cybersecurity & IT Company

Army veteran and owner of Intelligent IT, Pete Frasco, has always enjoyed tackling technical challenges, a discovery he made early in his military career. Pete tells the story of when he was stationed in Bosnia in 1996 as a young Soldier, and he was able to rig a solution to a problem no one had yet been able solve. As Pete got started with IIT, he became increasingly aware of how he could meet a critical need for IT services in the community. As a Service Disabled Veteran and retired from his first career, Pete feels fortunate that he can run his current business driven by a passion for the work and meeting needs for others. “I don’t do this work because I have to,” Pete explains. “I do this to provide that service for others.”

Veteran business, TechSarah SidersNovember 9, 2022veteran owned business

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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