Olathe OKs economic development grant for a hub for startup businesses

Olathe is investing in a new kind of vision.

At its meeting Tuesday evening, the Olathe City Council approved a professional services agreement with Innovation Pavilion, Inc., a Colorado-based company looking to open a second location. As part of the agreement, Olathe will give the company a $70,000 economic development grant.

Innovation Pavilion, a mentoring and resource hub for startups, has an 80,000-square-foot conference and event center in Centennial, Colo., a Denver suburb. Entrepreneurs rent office space, network and receive business training at the facility. The company also provides educational programming for elementary through college students.

More than 150 startups have been nurtured by the company so far.

Vic Ahmed, who founded the company three and a half years ago, told The Star he hopes to emulate that success in Olathe.

This story was originally published May 25, 2015 at 10:20 AM with the headline "Olathe OKs economic development grant for a hub for startup businesses."