In this session we will discuss how we (the founders of The Porter House KC) found purpose, and channeled it to help underserved entrepreneurs in the urban core of Kansas City.

Dan Smith, Co-Founder- The Porter House KC. Dan provides organizational leadership and direction for The Porter House KC. He is a native of Kansas City, Mo, and has worked in both for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. Over the past 18 years, he has started/owned/operated 5 businesses, including The Porter House KC. His personal mission is to build economic value, and purpose in the community that raised him.

How Your View Of The World Will Help You Thrive During A Pandemic

Mr. Riley will share the insight he has gained from 135 members of the GAN Network who serve over 13,000 startups from over 40 countries around the world.  This has helped him to start to outline  a vision for a new economy and what that can look like in response to the pandemic.

Bio

As the CEO of GAN and Managing Partner of GAN Ventures, Patrick Riley works to create opportunities, connections, and investments that help startups have the power to create and grow wherever they call home. GAN connects accelerators, startup studios, and corporate partners together so that they can go on to work with and support the next wave of global startups. GAN Ventures is the investment arm of GAN, providing seed-stage capital to startups around the world.

In the presentation, Dr. Terry Cyfers will give a brief history of the Innovation Scholar Program from its inception to its current iteration. Dr. Cyfers will then take a few moments to present the future destination of the Innovation Scholar program. Then the Innovation Scholars will present their experience as an Innovation Scholars by giving an overview of their duties, responsibilities, and current projects. The UC Innovation Team will leave time for questions at the end.

Terry serves as the Assistant Director of Innovation for the University of Charleston’s Wehrle Innovation Center. His focus is giving leadership and development in complex advanced level work in small business creation and expansion, minority business development, educational and training assistance, marketing and communication, business succession planning, export planning, and procurement assistance. Terry’s coaching and consulting practice has positively impacted over 300 entrepreneurs. Additionally, his clients have been featured in numerous publications both locally and nationally. His clients have also received numerous awards such as 2016 Veteran Owned Business of the Year, 2016 Small Business Champion of the Year, 2018 West Virginia Small Business of the Year and 1 st runner up nationally Small Business of the Year, and the West Virginia 2020 Small Business of the Year.

In 2014 Lisa met Crystal and Robert Timmons through a local MeetUp group. Through their friendship Lisa became involved with the Veteran Garden Project. Lisa is going to talk about the unbreakable bonds veterans can form and how those bonds have supported her through work in the Veteran Garden Project, a sustainable gardening community in St, Augustine Florida area. https://veterangardenproject.org/

Elizabeth (Lisa) Merwin is a 21 year Army veteran with one combat deployment to Afghanistan. She has served in the Active Duty Army, Army Reserve, and is currently serving in the Florida Army National Guard. Lisa moved to St. Augustine, Florida in 2013 to continue her military career while living closer to family. Despite a thirteen year break in service, during which she earned her second degree, taught high school Spanish, and worked for CNN and Turner Broadcasting, Lisa sustained her connection to the military. The bonds that are established through the shared experiences of serving in the military are unbreakable. They are also easily established with anyone who has served, regardless of branch of service.