Missouri Women's Business Center

What Missouri Women's Business Center does

Missouri Women's Business Center (MoWBC) is a nonprofit program of Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA), founded in 2016 and headquartered in Columbia, Missouri. MoWBC provides small business development assistance to entrepreneurs across eight Central Missouri counties (Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, Moniteau, and Osage), with a stated focus on women, minorities, and low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs, though services are open to all individuals regardless of gender. The organization operates with a small team of approximately 8 staff including a Director, Program Manager, Business Education Instructor, Executive Assistant, and multiple Business Coaches.

MoWBC's core offerings include free one-on-one business coaching, the licensed Kauffman FastTrac Business Academy (a 12-week curriculum offered twice yearly for $150 with scholarships), The Shops at Sharp End retail incubator (a brick-and-mortar and e-commerce launchpad managed jointly with District Downtown CID and REDI), the Childcare Business Cohort (a specialized vertical program), the Capital Access Program with a newly launched microlending component, pitch competitions, virtual professional development via Caffeinated Minds sessions, and advocacy at the Missouri State Capitol. Client engagement is managed through the eCenter Direct web portal, a standard platform used across SBA-affiliated Women's Business Centers.

The organization's revenue model is government grant-based rather than commercial: the U.S. Small Business Administration provides the federal share (49.5%, $150,000) of a total program cost of $302,937.20 under a Cooperative Agreement, with the non-federal share (51.5%, $152,937.20) supplied through CMCA and other contributions. Services are free to clients; the only direct fee is the $150 Kauffman FastTrac tuition, which may be waived via scholarships. Customer acquisition is community-led through outreach, referrals, and word-of-mouth, supplemented by social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), email newsletters, and event-based engagement including the annual Women Who Own It Awards. In 2024, MoWBC conducted 500 coaching sessions and facilitated over $100,000 in capital infusion to entrepreneurs, and has cumulatively distributed over $200,000 in grants under current leadership.

Name

Missouri Women's Business Center

Legal name

Missouri Women's Business Center

Website

https://mowbc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Missouri Women's Business Center is a Columbia, Missouri-based nonprofit (program of Central Missouri Community Action) that delivers free business coaching, training, microlending, and a retail incubator to women, minority, and low-to-moderate-income entrepreneurs across eight Central Missouri counties, funded largely through an SBA Cooperative Agreement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Development Services

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK), Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM), Entrepreneurship, Business & Innovation Camps (EDAMALAL)

Keywords

• Small business development
• Entrepreneurship training
• Business coaching services
• Nonprofit business advisory
• Small business incubation

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Federal Funding (SBA Cooperative Agreement): Primary revenue source through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Federal share covers 49.5% ($150,000) of the total program cost of $302,937.20. This is not commercial revenue but government grant/agreement funding for nonprofit operations.
2. Non-Federal Share/Contributions: Non-federal matching funds of 51.5% ($152,937.20) complement the SBA funding. This likely comes from CMCA contributions and potentially other grant sources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Missouri Women's Business Center is a nonprofit small business development organization providing free one-on-one business coaching, the Kauffman FastTrac entrepreneurship curriculum, capital access support including pitch competitions and microlending, and specialized cohorts (such as a Childcare Business Cohort) to entrepreneurs across eight Central Missouri counties. The center also operates The Shops at Sharp End, a retail startup incubator offering shared physical and e-commerce space for qualifying entrepreneurs to launch and test retail concepts.

Product overview

Missouri Women's Business Center is a small business development organization providing a unified portfolio of services to entrepreneurs throughout Central Missouri, with a focus on women, minorities, and low-to-moderate income entrepreneurs. The core offerings include Business Coaching (free one-on-one guidance from experienced entrepreneurs), the Kauffman FastTrac Business Academy (12-week entrepreneurship course), the Capital Access Program (funding and pitch competition opportunities), and specialized programs like the Childcare Business Cohort and The Shops at Sharp End retail incubator. Additional services include Caffeinated Minds (virtual professional development), the annual Women Who Own It Awards, and advocacy at the Missouri State Capitol. All services are accessible through the eCenter client portal. The center operates as a program of Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) funded in part by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Shops at Sharp End: A retail startup incubator program providing shared space for entrepreneurs to launch brick-and-mortar and e-commerce enterprises, with workshops, training, coaching, and peer-to-peer mentoring.

Products and services

• Business Coaching Free one-on-one business coaching provided by professionals who have been entrepreneurs or currently manage their own enterprises. Covers topics from registering a business to obtaining capital and employee management. Available to registered clients after completing orientation.
• Kauffman FastTrac Business Academy A 12-week course for aspiring and early-stage business owners offered twice yearly (spring and fall). Covers ideation, positioning, commitment, refinement, and launch phases. Cost is $150 per participant with scholarship availability.
• The Shops at Sharp End Retail startup incubator in a shared space that allows startups to prove their concept by selling products and learning skills to grow into viable retail operations. Includes workshops, training, coaching, and peer-to-peer mentoring, with both brick-and-mortar and e-commerce capabilities.
• Business Funding / Capital Access Program Assistance determining appropriate funding options for business needs, including help navigating credit challenges and exploring financing solutions tailored to borrowers at every stage.
• Pitch Competition Funding opportunities through pitch competitions held when funding becomes available. Multiple competitions including Retail Pitch Competition and FastTrac Pitch Competition.
• Caffeinated Minds Virtual professional development program held on Tuesdays from 9-10am featuring guest speakers from diverse business fields discussing topics aligned with monthly themes including marketing, bookkeeping, taxes, sales, HR, and budgeting.
• Childcare Business Cohort Cohort program for individuals starting, working in, or owning a childcare business. Meets monthly on second Tuesdays with guest speakers, offering operations support, understanding subsidies, business planning, and funding guidance.
• Microlending Program Program providing small loans to empower small businesses and boost undercapitalized entrepreneurs in mid-Missouri, integrated with MoWBC's Capital Access Program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500 coaching sessions conducted in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoWBC is a program of CMCA. The parent organization provides administrative infrastructure, alignment with poverty-eradication mission, and contributes to non-federal share (51.5%, $152,937.20) of program funding.
• Kauffman FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicenses and delivers the Kauffman FastTrac Business Academy curriculum - a 12-week entrepreneurship course offered twice yearly. The program is a cornerstone of MoWBC's training offerings.
• The District Downtown CIDflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three managing partners of The Shops at Sharp End retail incubator. Contributed to the development and continues as governing body member for this flagship initiative opened January 2024.
• REDI (Regional Economic Development Inc.)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three managing partners of The Shops at Sharp End retail incubator. Contributed to concept development and continues as governing body member for this initiative to retain and accelerate retail businesses.
• Columbia Chamber of Commerce Women's NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector Jayme Prenger serves as Advisor for the Mentorship Program on the Women's Network Leadership Team, providing networking and mentorship connections for women entrepreneurs.
• Boonville Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirector Jayme Prenger serves on the Executive Board, advocating for small businesses across the region.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SCORE: National SBA-affiliated nonprofit providing free business mentoring, workshops, and resources to entrepreneurs. Directly comparable to MoWBC in mission (free small-business advisory) and funding source (SBA partnership), and serves the same Central Missouri counties.
• Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Centers: Federal program funding business development centers serving minority entrepreneurs. Operates the same federal-grant + matching-share structure as MoWBC and serves an overlapping target population of underserved entrepreneurs.
• America's SBDC Network: Federally funded network of Small Business Development Centers offering free coaching, training, and capital access to entrepreneurs. Overlaps MoWBC's SBA-funded service model, geographic reach (statewide Missouri SBDC), and target small-business clientele.
• Missouri Small Business Development Centers (MO SBDC): Statewide SBDC affiliate operating from the University of Missouri and regional offices. Directly competes with MoWBC for the same free-coaching SBA-funded entrepreneur audience across the same Central Missouri counties.
• Veteran Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs): SBA-funded centers providing business training, counseling, and mentoring to veteran entrepreneurs. Shares MoWBC's SBA cooperative-agreement funding model, free-service delivery, and regional service-area construct.
• Association of Women's Business Centers (AWBC): National membership organization representing the WBC network that includes MoWBC. Directly comparable as the umbrella body for the same SBA-funded WBC program model and beneficiary of the WBCs of Excellence Award that MoWBC won in 2025.
• Women's Business Development Center (WBDC): Chicago-based SBA Women's Business Center providing business training, consulting, and capital access to women entrepreneurs. Operates the same WBC federal funding model as MoWBC, with comparable programs in coaching, FastTrac delivery, and microlending.

Others

• Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC): Awarding body of the 2025 WBCs of Excellence Award that MoWBC received. Functions as a certification and standards body for women-owned businesses rather than a direct service competitor.
• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: Licensor of the FastTrac curriculum that is a cornerstone of MoWBC's training offerings. Comparable as the upstream content provider and ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.
• Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA): Parent organization of MoWBC and contributor of the 51.5% non-federal share. Operates broader anti-poverty programming (housing, energy assistance, Head Start) and provides administrative infrastructure rather than competing for the same entrepreneur clientele.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/missouriwbc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mowomensbusinesscenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/missouriwomensbusinesscenter

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Missouri Women's Business Center