Travis Fitzwater

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT TRAVIS FITZWATER

I\'ve been watching Missouri families work hard in a political world that spends little time considering the entrepreneurs of our day. Not for lack of effort — Missourians have more grit than they get credit for — but because an effective statewide support structure isn\'t quite there for our startups and risk-takers.Twelve years in the state legislature taught me how to move the needle on things that matter: job training, economic development, energy policy, building across the aisle when it counted. But the thing I carried out of every session wasn\'t a bill number. It was a clearer picture of what Missouri could be if we backed our people.That\'s what brought me to the Missouri Technology Corporation.MTC is a public-private partnership that does something I\'ve believed in my whole career: puts capital, mentorship, and connections in the hands of founders and risk-takers who are building Missouri\'s economy from the ground up. High-growth startups. University spin-outs. First-time entrepreneurs in towns you won\'t find on any list of top innovation hubs. All of them deserve a shot.I\'m a follower of Jesus, which shapes how I think about leadership — it\'s about service first, not titles. My wife and I are raising a houseful of girls in Holts Summit, which keeps me grounded in what this work is actually for.I\'ve knocked on thousands of doors across eastern and mid-Missouri. I\'ve sat with founders, investors, university presidents, and community leaders from St. Louis to Kansas City to Cape Girardeau to Kirksville. And I keep hearing the same thing: Missouri has everything it needs to be a serious innovation economy. We just need to build the right infrastructure around the people who are already doing the work.That\'s the mission. That\'s why I\'m here.If you\'re building something in Missouri, or you care about its future — let\'s talk.