Jerome Katz's Entrepreneurship Blog

Frank Chimero is a visual artist (and MO state alum) who teaches at Portland State. He’s doing a series of visualizations of the states, and here is his take on Missouri. When I look at the person going through the shredder, I think it is an entrepreneur.

For entrepreneurs, Frank imagery is not far off the mark. MO spends about one-tenth on economic development of the next lowest surrounding state (and about 2.5% of what the biggest spender is doing, see http://www.entrepreneurship.bloch.umkc.edu/research/Capital%20Formation%20Paper%2012-4.pdf). We trail the nation in firms created and jobs created. In a big statewide meeting on economic development, the heavy-hitters of MO said capital formation was far behind where it should be (and as one of only three angel capital group creators in the state, let me tell you that their observation is accurate).

Seeing the great ideas our students have, but not having enough ways to get these funded or moving remind me that we still have a long way to go!