Former Chiefs star, and current small business owner, Will Shields will be one of two keynote speakers at the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Summit onTuesday, Nov. 11. The Small Business Summit is a half-day event with speakers on interesting business topics and breakout sessions with varied topics sure to interest business owners.
Shields is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played college football for the University of Nebraska, earning consensus All-American honors and winning the Outland Trophy. He played his entire professional career for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, and never missed a game in 14 seasons and is in the Chiefs Hall of Fame, as well as the College Hall of Fame. Shields established his own foundation, The Will to Succeed Foundation, in 1993 focusing on helping primarily women and children in the Kansas City area. He was honored for his philanthropic efforts by the NFL with the Walter Payton Award. Besides his outstanding football career, Shields is also a business entrepreneur. He currently owns and operates 68 Inside Sports, a fitness and sports facility, in Overland Park, Kansas. He will speak about how he made his transition from professional football to small business owner.
Henry C. “Hank” Foley, Ph.D. Academic Affairs, Research and Economic Development for the University of Missouri is the other keynote speaker. He will discuss community and university partnerships for innovation.
Breakout session topics include Protecting Your Intellectual Assets, Social Media, Building Your Brand and Expand Your Reach. A Resource Fair also will be offered between sessions and keynote addresses so attendees can talk one-on-one with professionals who can help businesses. Get a free consultation with the Small Business Resource and Technology Center, Craig School of Business, Mo-Kan and more.
After the summit, a special QuickBooks Class will be taught by Shea Mears, CPA, MBA, who is the Outsourcing Manager of CliftonLarsonAllen LLP in Des Moines, Iowa. Those who wish to attend this session, for an additional $10, should register immediately because it is limited to 50 people. They should also bring a laptop to learn how to use all of the basic functions of QuickBooks.
Registration and breakfast begin at 8 a.m. Breakout sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m.; Foley, the first keynote speaker, will speak at 10:30 a.m.; Shields will speak at 11:20 a.m.; and the QuickBooks class will begin at 1 p.m.
Price without the QuickBooks Class is $15 for Chamber members and $25 General Admission. Breakfast is included. The Summit will be held at the Fulkerson Center on the Missouri Western State University campus, 4525 Downs Drive. To register, visitwww.saintjoseph.com or call (816) 232-4461. For a direct link to the registration page online, click here. RSVPs are due Friday, Nov. 7.