Steve and I had the pleasure of attending the KTEC Pipeline ”Innovator of the Year” awards dinner on Thursday night. One of our client’s, Cason Coplin of EcoFit Lighting, was one of this year’s nominees. The event was both an exciting experience as well as an eye opening one.

When I moved to the mid-west 4 years ago, I had a friend explain the over arching difference in doing business on the east coast, where I had moved from, and the mid-west, my new home. She said that I would find that while out in the east coast the mentality for doing business was ”what can you do for me”, here in the mid-west that mentality is “what can I do for you”. I initially thought it was an over simplified exaggeration, but as I have watched my business grow and experienced the support of my clients and colleagues here in Kansas City I am recognizing that there was a lot of truth to that statement. The dinner on Thursday evening was just another example of the support this community provides for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The KTEC program “is designed to systematically identify high potential technology entrepreneurs and match them with best-in-class training, resources and mentors to facilitate their dynamic growth in Kansas.” The fact that the program has decided to focus not only on the business opportunity but more specifically on the business leader is another example of the mid-west’s practice of putting people first. As the economy struggles to get out of a recession, one that was in no small part caused by businesses choosing to put profits first, it was refreshing to witness the culmination of a program that was created “as an aggressive model to create leaders for the Innovation Economy.” I believe along with many others that it is those leaders of the so-called Innovation Economy that will be a driving force in our recovery process as a nation. It was exciting Thursday to honor the 2009 innovators andwelcome the 2010 class.

On the other hand, as a female business owner who has always believed that glass ceilings were something only our mother’s had to worry about it was eye opening to see that out of the 19 participants on stage (members of the 2009 and 2010 class) only 1 was a woman. Is this still really a boys club? Come on ladies, are we really leaving all the innovating in this world to the men? I will admit that it was refreshing to see that the President of KTEC Pipeline was a woman, Joni Cobb, as well as one of the speakers and investors, Laura Kilcrease, so all is not lost. But if nothing else.. my eyes have been opened and I am more adamant that ever to prove that women can play a very important role in technology innovation too… watch out KTEC class of 2011, I think there will be more high heels on that platform next year…