The PIPELINE Primer compresses a year of learning into an intensive two-day format to move a great business to the next level...or help a "start up" refine, define and launch a venture with a higher chance of hitting the mark.

You'll spend two days learning and networking - connecting with the critical resources to help you succeed. A host of entrepreneurial and business experts, as well as state and local resource providers will lead you in the PIPELINE Primer.

You’ll learn how market validation, business models, role of the CEO, financing and communicating your venture impact your venture – and how to avoid common pitfalls – taking your complete, high-growth venture to a solid growth curve.

Prime candidates include technology or bioscience companies that are launching new products, entrepreneurs considering high-growth start-ups and companies looking for increased revenue growth.

June 25 & 26
Enterprise Center of Johnson County
8527 Bluejacket Street in Lenexa, KS 66214

July 14 & 15
Wichita State University, Marcus Welcome Center
1845 Fairmount in Wichita, KS 67260
Wichita, KS

Find out more!

The 2008 KTEC PIPELINE Mentors gathered as a group for the first time on Thursday, May 8 to network, address Innovators' issues in a group "think tank" format and to reflect a bit about the PIPELINE program as it continues to develop as a national model.

The 2008 PIPELINE Mentors are:

Tim Barton, Freightquote.com
Michael Beckloff, Beckloff Associates, Inc.
Mollie Carter, Sunflower Bank
Gina Danner, Mail Print, Inc.
Tom Debacco, iModules
Scott Deeter, Ventria Bioscience
Bruce Ferguson, Edenspace Systems Corporation
David Forsee, Brookside Capital, LLC
Rob Herrington, Horizon Analog, Inc.
Tom Lauerman, GeoAccess, Inc.
Jim Mitchell, Kansas Bioscience Authority/Heartland BioVentures
Jeff Reene, Leadership for Growth
Tom Thornton, Kansas Bioscience Authority
Richard West, Wichita Technology Ventures, LLC

The mentors have all worked together with KTEC PIPELINE leadership and their respective mentees as they prepared for this upcoming module.

Additionally, the five KTEC PIPELINE Program or "floating" mentors have been working with various Innovators on special issues that require additional assistance.

Click here to read about all the KTEC PIPELINE mentors for 2008.

Sensitech Inc., a global leader in cold chain visibility solutions, has made a strategic minority investment in Rush Tracking Systems, LLC, a recognized leader and trusted advisor for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solutions. Sensitech is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carrier Corp., which is a business unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX). Terms of the investment were not disclosed.

As an experienced leader in end-to-end RFID systems integration and advisor to Fortune 100 client organizations, Rush Tracking has significant RFID field experience and a proven track record delivering solutions in the consumer packaged goods, transportation and logistics, industrial manufacturing, automotive, aerospace and defense, pharmaceutical distribution, and petrochemical industries.

"The unique combination of our applied RFID expertise and Sensitech's knowledge of the cold chain could create great opportunities for both companies and our clients," said Toby Rush, president and CEO, Rush Tracking Systems. "The cold chain presents a new, complex set of business challenges for monitoring and managing the environment and moving temperature-sensitive products." Read More

The KTEC PIPELINE announced Olga Koper, NanoScale Corporation, Manhattan, Kansas, as the KTEC PIPELINE “Innovator of the Year.”  The “Innovator of the Year” was chosen after a competition that included a refined business plan, a pitch to an expert panel and a score carried over from performance during the technology fellowship year.

 “I am thrilled to be recognized as ‘Innovator of the Year’,” said Olga Koper. “This recognition means even more, because I know the high level of skill of my fellow Innovators in the KTEC PIPELINE program. What a perfect way to end my year in the KTEC PIPELINE – giving me even more motivation to succeed in my business, NanoScale Corporation.” Read More