Spark Tank Program in Ferguson, MO

The Spark Tank program in Ferguson, MO kicks off in August, with accepted participants beginning their entrepreneurial training in Fall 2024. See the video below for a short intro.

Training consists of 2-3 hour virtual classes every few weeks on Saturday mornings, with additional coursework completed at home between classes. Throughout the training, entrepreneurs receive regular guidance from their mentors. Training continues until early February, with a break near the end of the year.

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After completing training, entrepreneurs are ready to refine their business ideas and get ready to present to potential investors and team members at the Spark Tank Pitch Event, which takes place in Spring 2025.

Do you want to participate in the Ferguson, MO Spark Tank program?

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Being an entrepreneur is both a choice and lifestyle. Entrepreneurs live to serve their identified unmet need with passion and purpose. The mechanics and disciplines needed to develop a business that can even survive, much less thrive, require significant learning. The Kauffman FastTrac® program is designed for just this learning.

We will only meet four times or so on Saturday mornings on Zoom to instruct you and facilitate the process. The real work is done between sessions, with the support of a mentor, as you wrestle important questions to the ground to arrive at the best and most viable option(s) for your business. We will be here to support you all along the way, but count on the work of your two hands, the steel of your own mind, and the significant investment of your personal time and effort. It's your dream. It's your business!

Here are the anticipated dates for the Saturday meetings on Zoom. Attendance is expected.

There may also be a session before these to introduce you to some of the software used to monitor progress and to learn how to use FastTrac. You will work on your time and schedule and will meet with your mentor(s) at times and for durations that fit your need and lifestyle.

Dr. David Bryant, Ph.D, Director of Benedictine College’s Cray Center for Entrepreneurial Services, will be the primary professor sharing knowledge and communicating expectations to entrepreneurs.

Below is a general schedule, with specific topics to be covered and due dates for completion of related work. A detailed program schedule and syllabus will be sent to entrepreneurs once they are accepted into the Spark Tank program.

If you have any questions about the training or anything else, just get in touch with us!

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So you completed the training, refined your business idea, pitched to investors and got your team together. Now what? The Spark Tank program provides startup resources to help entrepreneurial teams get started.

Spark Tank partner organization Civil Righteousness has provisioned a facility in the Ferguson, MO area to be used as a shared “business incubator” for the Spark Tank program. This facility (to be named the Dark Horse Business Accelerator/Studio) includes office and meeting spaces, computers, phones and other resources that will help starting entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground.

If you have any questions about startup resources or anything else, just get in touch with us!

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Be a Capacity Builder for Entrepreneurship in Ferguson, MO

There are two ways to support the capacity for entrepreneurship in Ferguson through the Spark Tank program.

1. Donate to support the Spark Tank pitch event. Here are the options:

   • Top Entrepreneur - Cash award for his/her business ($10,000 ++++)
   • Event Supporter ($10,000)
   • Award Supporter - Reg CF crowdfunding portal listing and filing with SEC ($5,000 each)
   • Opening Social Event Supporter ($2,000)
   • Award Ceremony Supporter ($2,000)
   • Spark Tank, Spark Team Draft Event ($1,500)
   • Closing Banquet ($1,500)

2. Donate to help finish the Dark Horse Business Accelerator/Studio space in Ferguson to provide shared resources for entrepreneurs after the pitch event. Here are the options:

   • Named meeting pod/soundproof booth build-out ($15,000)
   • Conference room table ($2,000)
   • Commercial laser printer/copier ($5,000)
   • Two collaboration desks ($3,000 total)
   • 20 desks/conference chairs ($150 each)
   • Lounge/seating area furniture ($12,000)
   • Modern cubicle shared workstations for three ($3,000)

To donate to one or more of the specific items above, please complete the Supporter Application below. Note that all gifts will be made to Civil Righteousness, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation, and restricted as specified above for the Spark Tank in Ferguson, MO.

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Make a General Donation to Spark Tank - Ferguson, MO

Gifts to the Ferguson, MO Spark Tank are processed by partner organization Civil Righteousness. To give via text message, text SPARK to (314) 451-5751 and follow the instructions. To give online, use the link below and select “Give to SPARK Tank” from the list of available funds.

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Be a Volunteer

There are a wide range of areas where your time and effort can help! If you want to volunteer your time in supporting the Spark Tank effort in Ferguson, MO, just get in touch with us.

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