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KANSAS CITY, Missouri (November 8, 2017) — For two-and-a-half-days, a select group of leaders from 30 Kansas City-area minority businesses are doing something that could make some people cringe — turning off their phones and closing their computers. It is part of the commitment made to participate in what is described as an intense, game-changing business program led by world-class professors at Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business.

“Before you even begin the program, you fill out a self-assessment asking incredibly direct questions about every aspect of your business — challenging how you view your business, communicate with your employees and customers,” says Nilson Goes, chief of operations and general manager at Kansas City, Missouri-based Infinite Energy Construction.

“I’ve learned a great deal from the Tuck Executive Education Program,” he says. “The instructors and curriculum are exceptional. I’m leaving with a more intentional focus on the basic elements of our business that may take a back seat to everyday business demands. It’s an entrepreneurial reboot.” 

In 2016, leaders of Tuck Executive Education at Dartmouth chose Kansas City to launch its first corporate collaboration in the country, designed to increase the quality of entrepreneurs in the metro. From Nov. 6-8, participants experienced Kansas City Strategy and Business Development for Minority Business Entrepreneurs Part 2, hosted by Burns & McDonnell at its world headquarters.

“We facilitate true transformative discussions that have the power to change the landscape of the minority business community in Kansas City,” says Dr. Fred McKinney, managing director of minority business programs at Tuck School of Business. “This isn’t just about having a business strategy. It’s providing the roadmap to implement the strategy, uncovering how they can achieve that through innovation, acquisitions and more.”

While most participants of the program invest thousands of dollars traveling to New Hampshire to attend sessions at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Kansas City area businesses, Burns & McDonnell, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, the City of Kansas City, Missouri, Hallmark, KCP&L, Sprint and the Technology Industry Group, are picking up the majority of the tab to bring a customized version of program to Kansas City allowing more minority businesses to participate.

“These are our business partners. We work with them on projects every day. Just as we invest in our own employees, we believe investing in our minority business partners is critical to our long-term success,” says Ron Coker, senior vice president, Burns & McDonnell. “A strong minority business community is essential to the growth of Kansas City and the key to transformative change. We have a responsibility to not only invest in projects, but in the people of our city. We are all entrepreneurs. That is the key to making Kansas City the most innovative city in the country.”

About Tuck Executive Education

Tuck Executive Education at Dartmouth designs and delivers learning initiatives that transform individuals and organizations, help executives improve their performance as leaders so they deliver stronger results, and that better equip them to drive growth, innovation, and change for their organizations

About Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies made up of more than 5,700 engineers, architects, construction professionals, scientists, consultants and entrepreneurs with offices across the country and throughout the world. We strive to create amazing success for our clients and amazing careers for our employee-owners. Burns & McDonnell is 100 percent employee-owned and is proud to be No. 16 on Fortune’s 2017 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For.