NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — StartUp Hutch Executive Director Jackson Swearer told Hutch Post that a new employee with the agency will allow him to get some more long-range planning accomplished.
"We've just hired Mario Hawkins," Swearer said. "He started earlier this month. We've thrown him right into the deep end with a number of community events and getting him out there and getting involved. We're looking forward to getting him connected with our local entrepreneurs as well. He is going to be starting to open up some times to do coaching meetings with him and serving in that role of entrepreneur navigator. We're very excited to have Mario on board and joining the team."
This will allow Swearer a little more time to think strategically about the direction of StartUp Hutch.
"I'm going to be having a little bit more time to focus on our both community and statewide partnerships and seeing how we can continue to grow and develop this entrepreneurship ecosystem. We've got an entrepreneurship ecosystem action plan that we've been operating under for the last five years. This is the fifth year of that. We're writing the next five year action plan and thinking about how we can be good partners with lots of different organizations in our community around economic development, but also thinking regionally as well. There are lots of opportunities for us to promote and expand entrepreneurship in Reno County and in our region in central Kansas, and I'm excited for the possibility to have a little bit more capacity to focus on those partnerships and see what new programming and new things we can develop and build."
He will still also be helping to make sure Hawkins and his clients have the resources they need, as well.
"I'm not going to let go of all of the working with entrepreneurs just yet either," Swearer said. "I'm going to try to work with Mario and bring him along into that and make sure that we're continuing to get entrepreneurs all the connections that they need in order to be successful in Reno County."
If you have questions about how to get started with your small business, go to https://www.startuphutch.com/.
CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.