COLUMBIA, Missouri — Small businesses don’t stay small on purpose, said Colby Kraus, echoing a mantra popular among organizers of the Main Street Summit — an immersive downtown experience rich with enough Americana capital for entrepreneurs and community builders from all walks of life.
Approaching its third year, Main Street Summit is set to return Nov. 4-6 in Columbia. Expanded programming focuses on venture and startup, manufacturing, construction, franchise, health, nonprofit, and faith and work — with organizers prioritizing authenticity and a sense of belonging for everyone who attends.
“We’ll have Midwest hospitality at the forefront,” said Kraus, marketing director for Scratchmade Events, which produces the summit.
Main Street Summit is balancing that approachability with scaling up, he added, noting the experience will see 15 local venues transformed to welcome more than 120 speakers across its seven programming tracks.
“There’ll be chances for small business owners or entrepreneurs to rub shoulders and build relationships with investors,” he said. “We think there could be some really serendipitous relationships formed between the two.”
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Main Street Summit speaker and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow
Among the most anticipated moments: a keynote from former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow.
“Tim Tebow is a really incredible speaker, and he has crazy overlap with a couple of our tracks,” Kraus said. “He’s gonna be speaking about our faith and work, but also his nonprofit work is really impressive.”
In addition, the summit’s lineup notably includes a fireside chat with NASCAR Hall of Famer Carl Edwards, plus a live recording of the Founders podcast featuring Eric Glyman, CEO of Ramp, and David Senra, the show’s host.
And that’s not all, Kraus emphasized.
“We have a main stage with lots of really great speakers, but then we also have 10 other small venues sprinkled throughout downtown Columbia,” he said. “Sometimes the crowd feels really intimate, which really gives you crazy access to these really talented individuals.”
Permanent Equity CEO Brent Beshore speaks at the finale of the 2024 Main Street Summit, a Columbia conference for entrepreneurs and investors; photo by Anna Sikes, Missouri Business Alert
Initially launched by the Columbia-based private equity firm Permanent Equity, the summit began as a way for business owners to connect and learn from one another. The firm’s founder, Brent Beshore — part of the fireside chat with NASCAR star Edwards — wanted to break small business owners, operators, and their teams out of silos to solve problems together, Kraus said.
“He came up with this idea for everyone to get together and share in their struggles and learn from one another,” Kraus continued, noting the schedule includes “Team Offsite-in-a-Box” programming, designed for groups to split up across tracks, then regroup to share takeaways.
The summit also includes breakout sessions on small business finance, manufacturing innovation, and faith-based entrepreneurship, as well as a showcase featuring Missouri-made products, food, and local talent.
“We like to represent everyone, companies of all sizes,” Kraus said.
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Restaurants, coffee shops, and co-working spaces will play host to breakout sessions and networking meetups, while large theaters and university halls will serve as stages for the summit’s keynotes.
Businesses can still apply to participate as venue hosts, sponsors, or pop-up vendors throughout the event.
“Our goal is to give a voice and a representation to the people building and working in these spaces,” Kraus said. “They feel really true to the Midwest, and can often go overlooked.”
The summit will run alongside Capital Camp, a major investor gathering hosted nearby. The overlap offers attendees a chance to network across industries and funding stages, Kraus said.
