Sara Harris, executive director of the Midland Development Corporation, said the MDC supports new and existing businesses in Midland, funding the Midland Entrepreneurial Challenge to provide capital for small businesses while remaining uninvolved in the judging process to ensure impartiality. Harris was a guest on a recent episode of the Best of Midland Podcast.
"The MDC is for new businesses and for existing businesses in Midland," said Harris on a recent edition of the Best of Midland Podcast. "You may be familiar with the Midland Entrepreneurial Challenge that UTPB runs. That's funded by the Midland Development Corporation. That's kind of like a Shark Tank-style business competition where small businesses compete, and then winning businesses receive from $50,000 to $150,000 for capital funding through reimbursement.”
“We help small businesses and existing businesses grow," Harris said. “Over the past five years, we've given about $2.3 million through that program. “Just for clarity, neither MDC staff nor the MDC board has anything to do with the judging or the picking of the challenge. We like to let UTPB administer it, and then they pick the judges.”
Harris serves as the executive director of the Midland Development Corporation (MDC), which supports businesses currently in Midland and those considering relocating to the area.
Best of Midland Podcast is hosted by Ryan Shewchuk and Terra Avery. It is an extension of the broader Best of Midland program, which aims to support small, local businesses by showcasing them and the people behind them. Their website lists top businesses and upcoming live events happening in the area.
The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.