Money-Minded: Make Plans to Attend These GEWKC Sessions
Liz Benditt, founder of The Balm Box, presents “Bootstrapped, Not Broke: Funding Growth Through Reinvestment,” one of several GEWKC sessions focused on capital.
Gaining access to capital is not a mystery, but the answers are not always crystal clear when funds are needed to start or grow a business. Understanding cash flow, profitability, and tax consequences are important foundations for business owners when it comes to wise money management. We preview nine GEWKC sessions that provide practical knowledge for startup founders and business owners.
After registering for GEWKC, a free event held Nov. 16-20 at Union Station, make plans to attend up to a dozen sessions focused on money that can help you learn, plan better and grow. View the complete GEWKC schedule of sessions that cover money, marketing, growth and more.
Tuesday, November 17th
Get Fundable: The Hidden Reasons Businesses Get Approved or Rejected
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM, Arthur Stilwell Room
Led by Annette Weeks, this session focuses on securing financing. Lenders evaluate a range of financial, operational, and credit factors when making funding decisions. As a result, promising businesses are often denied not because they lack potential, but because they are not fully prepared for the approval process.
Learn what financial institutions really look for when evaluating business financing requests. Participants will discover the hidden factors that influence approval decisions, the most common mistakes that lead to rejection, and the steps they can take now to strengthen their business and improve their chances of securing capital.
Ideal for early-stage founders, owners seeking to expand operations or purchase equipment, or those preparing a business for growth. Get a clear roadmap to become more fundable and ready for financing.
Key Takeaways
Understand the most common reasons businesses are approved or rejected for financing.
Learn the financial and operational indicators lenders use to assess risk.
Identify common mistakes that can delay or derail funding opportunities.
Discover practical strategies to strengthen your business before applying for financing.
Create an action plan to improve your readiness for future growth capital.
Financial Projections Your Can Take to the Bank
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Arthur Stilwell Room
John Addessi of the Kansas Small Business Development Center leads an interactive session where participants will crowdsource a business model and build financial projections in real time. The projections will include profit and loss statements, balance sheets, cash flow statements and financial ratios. Learn about all of the numbers a lender wants to know and all in less than an hour.
Candid Conversations about Growth and Investment
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Chamber Board Room
Regina Sosa, director of Keystone Angels at Keystone Innovation District, moderates a panel discussion about how investors actually think, what leads them to say no and why founders should not take it personally.
A "no" usually comes down to an incompatible investment thesis, not necessarily the business itself. The panel will include two successful founders who've raised equity funding and built their support system. They will share lessons learned and how fundraising is a two-way street; ensuring investors are the right fit for the business: providing mentorship and support, not just capital.
Aspiring entrepreneurs and founders (currently fundraising or thinking about fundraising) will walk away with practical, actionable items and a new understanding of investors and the strategies that move the line.
Profit, Cash & Taxes: Make Smarter Growth Decisions Before They Cost You
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM, Chamber Board Room
Founder and Executive Advisor of StrongSage David Schieffer leads this session. A business decision can look profitable on paper, create an immediate cash-flow problem, and carry tax consequences the owner never anticipated. Yet many entrepreneurs evaluate pricing, hiring, equipment purchases, owner compensation, and growth opportunities without considering how these financial factors interact.
In this practical workshop, Schieffer and tax professional Jason Schindler will help business owners evaluate major decisions through three connected lenses: profitability, cash flow, and taxes. Participants will learn why profit does not necessarily equal cash, how growth can strain an otherwise healthy business, and which questions should be answered before committing money or taking on additional overhead.
Using realistic small-business scenarios, participants will examine decisions involving hiring, pricing, major purchases, owner distributions, estimated taxes, and expansion. They will leave with a practical framework they can use to assess future decisions more confidently and avoid expensive financial surprises.
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM, Chamber Board Room
Every entrepreneur has heard the same advice: apply for grants, seek investors, or qualify for a loan.
While those funding sources can play an important role, they are not the only path to growing a business. Many entrepreneurs overlook one of the most powerful assets available to them: their own financial foundation.
Led by Michael Beamon, this interactive session explores how entrepreneurs can position themselves to become their own first investor by strengthening cash flow, protecting income, improving financial efficiency, and strategically leveraging personal and business assets. Participants will discover practical financial concepts that can increase flexibility, reduce dependency on outside funding, and create greater long-term control over business growth.
Rather than focusing solely on where to find money, this session challenges entrepreneurs to rethink how they build it.
Whether you're launching a startup, growing a small business, or leading a nonprofit organization, you'll leave with actionable strategies that can help you fund your vision with greater confidence and financial resilience.
Wednesday, November 18th
Solutions Lab Ventures - A Showcase of Tech Entrepreneurs Journey through the KC Startup Ecosystem
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Chamber Board Room
KC Digital Drive Program Manager Jim Starcev will showcase Kansas City-based emerging tech startups from its Solutions Lab Ventures program. Companies will discuss their journeys, innovations, products and solutions.
Panelists will also talk about Kansas City and regional programs they have been a part of including: LaunchKC, Digital Sandbox, Pure Pitch Rally, Digital Health KC, Pipeline, KCInvestED, Growth Mentoring Services (ECJC), Social Venture Studios, SBDC, NXTUS, NMotion, Invest Midwest and Mid X Midwest.
The audience will have time to ask questions as well as networking time that will allow you to dig deeper with both the panelists and all other entrepreneurs and advisors in the room.
Bootstrapped, Not Broke: Funding Growth Through Reinvestment
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM, Arthur Stilwell Room
Most founders assume growth requires outside money. Liz Benditt, founder of The Balm Box, built her company from zero to 20,000+ boxes shipped and $160+ average order value entirely through reinvestment with no outside investors, no debt, no dilution. In this session, Liz walks through exactly how she decided what to reinvest in first, the financial discipline that made self-funding possible, and the honest trade-offs of bootstrapping (namely, speed).
She'll also share the inflection point her business is approaching now, where reinvestment alone isn't enough, and outside capital starts to enter the conversation. Walk away with a framework for deciding whether to bootstrap, borrow, or raise money, and what "finance-ready" looks like from the inside.
CDFIs - The Best Kept Secret for Entrepreneurs
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM, Chamber Board Room
Miles Zeller, Policy & Advocacy Coordinator at AltCap, leads a panel discussion featuring local Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) leaders. They discuss what sets CDFIs apart from traditional financial institutions. Panelists will cover the mission behind their organizations and how CDFIs intentionally lend to historically marginalized populations and in low- to moderate-income communities.
Additionally, the session will discuss how CDFIs pair their capital with technical assistance and use evaluation criterion that is less stringent about credit scores, collateral and business experience.
Thursday, November 19th
Profit Ain't CASH: The Cash Flow Reality Check
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM, Innovation Room 1
Rickey Leathers, entrepreneur and vice president, senior business consultant at JP Morgan Chase, leads this session with practical knowledge that business owners can use. You can be profitable and still feel broke because profit and cash are not the same! In this practical interactive workshop. Learn simple cash flow fundamentals and leave with actions to increase cash in and decrease cash out so you can stay in control of your business.