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SBJ Editor Eric Olson interviews Rachel Anderson this morning at Hilton Garden Inn.
SBJ photo by Wes Hamilton
SBJ Editor Eric Olson interviews Rachel Anderson this morning at Hilton Garden Inn.

Efactory interim director makes case for permanent promotion

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Rachel Anderson, the efactory’s interim director since March, this morning discussed Missouri State University’s search process for the permanent leader of its downtown incubator.

Anderson said a search committee was recently started to find a permanent successor for Brian Kincaid, who resigned March 1 after being charged in December 2017 with misdemeanor domestic assault.

Allen Kunkel, associate vice president of economic development at MSU, previously told Springfield Business Journal the committee would start the 60-day search process in the next couple weeks.

As SBJ’s guest this morning for the 12 People You Need to Know live interview series, Anderson said she plans to apply for the job and made her case for why she would be a worthy director of the efactory. High-ranking employees from MSU, including President Clif Smart, were in the audience at Hilton Garden Inn.

“You know, I’m forming a search committee to think about it and we’ll get back to you,” she joked. “In all seriousness, a big reason of why I’m here in Springfield is because I truly care about the mission and what we’re doing at the efactory.

“Anything that I can do to help people succeed, follow their dreams, create higher wage-paying positions, I’m all in.”

In the meantime, Anderson said she would continue to serve the efactory the best she can as interim director and entrepreneurial specialist.

“I can’t affect or change the reason why that’s taking place,” she said of the search process, which she said is standard for MSU positions. “Where I can put my time and energy is to doing the best job I can, regardless of my title. I’ll continue to do that anyway that I can.”

Anderson’s work at the efactory comes during a time of prosperity for the business incubator.

The efactory operates independently of the university, meaning it does not receive funding from the higher education institution, she said. Anderson added the incubator has made a profit during each of its five years in operation. It also recently wrapped up its third cohort in the business accelerator program.

“We are truly running as a startup business,” she said.

At the efactory, Anderson said occupancy has been full since summer 2017. 

Currently, the incubator has 31 private offices and more than 40 companies with a combined 130 employees inside the efactory, Anderson said. That doesn’t factor in those who visit the efactory for other reasons.

“We think we probably have anywhere around 1,000 people that walk through our doors every day because of our training programs,” she said.

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