By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The 41 participants of the sixth annual Kansas Startup at Fort Hays State University kicked off their entrepreneurial weekend in the Robbins Center with a pep talk from a U.S. Senator Friday night.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), a former Hays resident, was back home to encourage their ideas and desire to help make western Kansas become an entrepreneurial hub. Moran is a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Technology Committee
“I got interested in startups because I was worried about the fiscal condition of our country. A report from the Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City landed on my desk and talked about the opportunities we have to grow our economy by increasing the number of startups and improving the number of startups that are successful. It occurred to me that maybe it’s easier politically to deal with a growing economy than it is figuring out where we cut spending or raising taxes on somebody.
“This became something I developed a passion for. I’m particularly glad we have startup interest in parts of Kansas that are rural.
“I teamed up with Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and we’ve been pursuing something now in its fourth version, called Startup Act 4.0.” The bipartisan jobs legislation would encourage creation and growth of new businesses.
“We took a lot of Kauffman information and recommendations and are working to pursue a tax code, an immigration policy, access to federally funded research, and increasing the amount of money, authorizations and opportunities for economic development authority of the Department of Commerce to provide resources for startup businesses and entrepreneurs.
“The goal is to see if we can get this legislation through the Congress. The tax code portions of our bill — the ability to retain capital and to reward success and entrepreneurial efforts –have already passed Congress.
“We’ve encouraged our colleagues in the United States Senate to host startup events, to visit startup companies, and talk about entrepreneurship.”
Moran has visited SXSW (South By Southwest) in Austin several times, each time making sure his attire was less formal. “I got out of my suit about the third year and out of the tie and sport jacket the fourth year,” he joked with the crowd. SXSW is a popular annual conference and festival celebrating the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries. “I’m trying to figure out how what we see in Austin, in Boston and in Silicon Valley, can be replicated in Kansas.”
Immigration issues are primarily what keep his Startup Act legislation from being passed, Moran thinks.
“Our suggested legislation allows for 75,000 new visas for people who are foreign-born and educated in the United States who want to put their capital into starting a business and employ people in the United States. It also allows for 50,000 more STEM visas for those who are interested in science, mathematics, technology, and engineering.
“This may be the most important thing we can do.
“In fact, the Kaufman studies indicate the number of entrepreneurial efforts by those who are foreign as compared to American is significantly larger. About 40 percent of startups come from foreign individuals in the United States. We want to utilize people’s entrepreneurial and intellectual skill sets. We want to utilize their capital if they want to start a business. But because it deals with immigration and people coming to the United States, that then lends itself toward broader political discussion.
“I would guess 80 percent of my colleagues agree with those two (visa) proposals and could vote for them. But too often we can’t deal with any immigration issue unless we deal with every immigration issue, which then results in dealing with no immigration issues. So we are redoubling our efforts in this Congress and this Senate to pursue that success.
“Someone in Silicon Valley was telling me they applied for H-1B visas for the 18 engineers they needed. They got none of those in the (visa) lottery. They said ‘Senator, you should know we hired them anyway.’ So how do you hire people when you didn’t get the visa? They hired them at their facilities in Canada.
“Not only did we lose 18 new engineering jobs in the United States, but I have little doubt that one or more of those 18 hired engineers will be the creator of the next Facebook or the next Google, and the sad fact is, they’re not in the United States. So we lose a lot if we can’t come together and figure out how to have an appropriate, fair immigration system.
“We want to improve the chances regulations don’t get in the way of a new business. Most people starting a new business don’t have a lot of money. Anything that drives up the cost of just getting your business off the ground diminishes the chances for its success.
“This is really about The American Dream,” Moran concluded. “I wish you well. If you can succeed in pursuing The American Dream, you will help others achieve theirs. And that’s a great thing for one generation to pass on to the next.”
Kansas Startup, led by the FHSU W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship, is a time for entrepreneurs to meet, share ideas, and launch new businesses.
“This three-day event is open to anyone with a great idea and the desire to make that idea a reality,” said Henry Schwaller, instructor of management and co-organizer of Kansas Startup. “The weekend is a 48-hour, hands-on experience where anyone interested in starting a business or non-profit can find out if their idea is viable.”
Hopeful entrepreneurs begin by making their pitches over an open mic on Friday – bringing their best ideas and hoping to inspire others to join their teams.
Saturday and Sunday, the focus is on developing the business idea and building a viable product. On Sunday evening, teams present their product to a panel of experts for feedback and prizes. Participant presentations are open to the public free of charge at 5 p.m. Sunday in the Robbins Center.
The event is sponsored by NetWork Kansas, Sunflower Electric Power, Commerce Bank, and Midwest Energy.