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Innovate 24 reports $155,000 distributed to eight startups; Fort Riley and regional partners update provided
Summary
Innovate 24 (formerly Spark) told commissioners it provided $155,000 to eight businesses last year and now operates from a co-located hub in Aggieville; county economic development staff also briefed the commission on Fort Riley partnerships and local military outreach programs.
Darren Sole, director of economic development for the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, and Stephanie Pierce, executive director of Innovate 24, briefed the Riley County Commission on Feb. 13 about entrepreneurship-support activities and regional partnerships.
Pierce said Innovate 24's mission is to support entrepreneurs at every stage and that, in 2024, the organization helped eight businesses with funding from four community programs, totaling $155,000 and leveraging additional private lending. She said Innovate 24 now co-locates with the Small Business Development Center in Aggieville to create a hub for mentoring, classes and networking.
Pierce said Innovate 24 engages more than 50 startups and small businesses annually and maintains a loan portfolio of a little over $1,000,000 to support area businesses. "We want to help entrepreneurs find what they need throughout every stage of growth," Pierce said.
Darren Sole commended Innovate 24 and other regional partners, including the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation and Pottawatomie County economic-development partners, for a collaborative approach combining city and county investment.
A follow-on update addressed Fort Riley and military-community relations. A county economic-development colleague identified in the record as Christian provided an update on Fort Riley activity, noting training rotations, a speaking visit by Lieutenant Dana Graff of the 130th Field Artillery Brigade, and that the STARBASE program is currently "on pause," with county staff working with legislators to restore it. Christian also said Miss USA (a first lieutenant in the National Guard) planned a regional visit that includes Fort Riley and local schools, and that the next Military Relations Committee lunch with the garrison commander is scheduled for March 5.
Commissioners praised the collaborative work among entrepreneurial-service organizations and regional partners and highlighted an upcoming community event: Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills will host its third annual Circle of Community Black Business Gala and awards event on Feb. 22, the chamber noted.
