On the face of it, it’s a silly question, sort of like me wondering how I can become the Heidi Klum of overweight, middle-age women.   You, dear Fill-in-The-Blank, cannot.  No more than I can become a supermodel at this or any age.  We don’t have the right stuff and trying to fake it just makes us look silly.

That’s not to say that Fill-In-The-Blank doesn’t have the right stuff to be the center of its own business universe or that great companies can’t be fostered in the Fly Over states.   In fact, they are.

I had the honor of working with ten such companies earlier this month as part of the PIPELINE program, funded by the State of Kansas and expertly led by CEO Joni Cobb.  In each of the last four years, PIPELINE has identified 10 high-potential companies to participate in a year-long immersion program.  The companies come from a broadly-defined technology sector, and represent remarkable innovations in bioscience, materials engineering, consumer Internet applications, education, energy efficiency, robotics, pharmaceuticals, and a host of industry-specific enabling applications.   Over the course of the year, they receive support for business planning, run market validation studies, learn effective communications skills, and connect into a national network of business mentors.

Then, they grow their businesses in Kansas, hiring local talent, investing in local infrastructure, paying local taxes, building the local economy.   Indeed, PIPELINE is driving these entrepreneurs to better outcomes than a typical investment portfolio might experience.  These companies are doing astoundingly well – and during an economic downturn, no less. Most have exponentially grown their businesses, and others have retooled and started newer, higher potential companies after realizing they were not on the right track.  And in this awful economy,  we’ve seen PIPELINE companies with substantial exits completed or in process.  Most importantly, the entrepreneurs at the head of these PIPELINE companies are paying it forward by encouraging others to start and grow new businesses.  As the program enters its fifth year, it has spawned an active alumni network in which past Innovators, as the program participants are called, become active mentors to current participants and to entrepreneurs at large.

No doubt State and local legislators eager to see big change fast – or at least in time for the next election cycle — wring their hands and wonder why Kansas isn’t the Silicon Valley of the Heartland.  They may worry if one little program can do enough to revitalize the economy and stem the brain drain to the vaunted coasts.   I don’t have the numbers to make my case, but I have to think the bang for the buck of this little program is remarkable.   PIPELINE – a relatively low-cost, high-impact business development program —  is a model for economic development throughout a country where once vibrant towns and cities are struggling to remake themselves for the Information Age.  And through a network of national mentors, the program is making footprints in the Innovation Ecosystem far beyond the borders of Kansas, becoming an emerging brand for programmed mentorship.

No question, by comparison, Kansas is no Silicon Valley and never will be.  And that’s okay.  In fact, it’s better than okay; it’s essential.  Kansas, and every other Fill-In-The-Blank region, has a fundamental responsibility to foster economic growth, and nothing drives growth more effectively than entrepreneurship.  Delivering programs that shift the odds of success in favor of the entrepreneur and driving policy that incites young businesses to invest and grow locally are building blocks of economic growth and sustainability.    PIPELINE does both.  It is an effective program that other states and regions would do well to model.

During our time with the PIPELINE teams, we got to learn a lot about the program from PIPELINE CEO Joni Cobb.   Our window into the program was brief but clear: the program combines working on the business with working in the business.  The entrepreneurs are given the guidance to lead their companies more effectively and prodded the hit critical milestones precisely.  Among the many non-profit and government-funded startup accelerators we’ve studied, PIPELINE is a model to emulate.

Far away from the buzz and energy of any recognized tech center, the companies of the PIPELINE program have achieved a measure of experience and success that would set them apart and above the crowded startup landscapes around the U.S.

And did I mention, PIPELINE is in Kansas.  Not exactly the hotbed of innovation, some would say. Yet these eight companies are, simply put, inspiring.  For the most part, they’ve built their businesses with a scrappy mixture of hard work, optimism, and an exacting focus on their customers’ needs.  Few of the eight have taken professional venture capital, yet all of them present smart investment opportunity.

On Thursday night, one of them will be crowned Innovator of the Year. By any measure, it’s going to be a tough competition.  Guidewire Group wishes each of these companies best of luck at the award ceremony on Thursday, and we wish them every success in the future. (UPDATE: Farms Tech CEO Jason Tatge was named Innovator of the Year at the PIPELINE gala celebration on January 21. – ed.)

As part of our workshop, we provided a G/Score assessment for each company.  Here are the eight companies:
Emerge Medical Solutions, LLC
Lenexa, Kansas
Jerry Calovich, C0-founder

The company  has created a new and clinically proven approach to improve the quality of healthcare delivered to patients with cardiovascular disease.  Emerge Medical Solutions G/Score

EcoFit Lighting
Lenexa, Kansas
Cason Coplin, President

EcoFit Lighting designs, manufactures and markets high-output, energy-efficient LED streetlights that can be retro fit with existing utility lighting fixtures.  EcoFit Lighting G/Score.

iSi Recycling Services
Wichita, Kansas
Gary Mason, Founder & CEO

A spin out of iSi Environmental Services, this company has developed a process for creating active carbon from carbon fiber manufacturing waste.  iSi Recycling Services G/Score

Robotzone, LLC
Winfield, Kansas
Brian Pettey, Founder & CEO

Robotzone designs and develops robots and robotic components for commercial, industrial and military applications, and has developed a new robotic camera platform for the film and video industry. Robotzone G/Score

AthletixNation, Inc.
Lenexa, Kansas
Davyeon Ross,  Founder & CEO

The company  has acquired a multi-year license to publish and distribute Division I college sports video content to media properties and sports Internet sites via its multimedia content and advertising platform.  AthletixNation G/Score

BRKZ Corp.
Overland Park, KS
Chris Routh President & CEO
BRKZ creates game changing internet properties, such as   Hurox.com, a groundbreaking online social marketplace allowing talented individuals to market and sell their digitally created online content to the masses, and FreshlyBranded.com, a marketing services marketplace. FreshlyBranded.com G/Score

Orbis BioSciences
Kansas City, Kansas
Maria Stecklein, VP Business Development

Orbis Biosciences offers clients a new way to create microparticles that gives unprecedented control of release rate with any material. Orbis BioSciences G/Score

Farms Technology, LLC
Lenexa, Kansas
Jason Tatge, CEO

Based on its Dynamic Pricing Platform and Pioneer MarketPoint, the company makes commodity trading more efficient by offering automated marketing tools to farmers and grain buyers. Farms Technology G/Score