Alex Evers, Meridian Technology Center’s new Director of Business and Entrepreneurial Services, really packs a punch when it comes to entrepreneurship coaching.

“I never planned on being a business owner much less someone who owns multiple businesses,” Evers said. “Now I’ve gone through the many ups and downs of entrepreneurship and I’m excited to help others grow their businesses.”

Evers’ entrepreneurial journey began when he started martial arts training at 12, but he didn’t realize he was passionate about small business until after he was in college.

He went to Oklahoma State University to study management information systems. Briefly, he tried going a different path but just one month after graduating from college he purchased Stillwater Martial Arts.

“What I really liked doing was running the karate school so that’s what I decided I would do,” Evers said.

As an entrepreneur, Alex had to learn many new skills from marketing his new business to managing real estate and inventory.

The first year Evers owned Stillwater Martial Arts he had around 80 students. By the second year, he had over 150. From there he developed a summer camp and an after school program that allowed the business to continue to grow.

“Eventually some of the instructors I trained decided they wanted to teach martial arts as a career,” Evers said. “So I said alright, let’s find a commercial space and get some mats. That’s how we started the Family Martial Arts locations in Enid and Edmond.”

Since he had purchased the Stillwater location there was a bit of a learning curve since Family Martial Arts in Enid was technically his first startup. There were many bumps in the road, including an unforeseen open heart surgery, after which he had to relearn many things and was restricted in what he could do.

Still, Evers was passionate about martial arts and persisted in his entrepreneurial journey. In 2021 he sold the Stillwater Martial arts location and, in 2022, he established Family Martial Arts in Edmond.

Igniting Innovation with Business and Entrepreneurial Services

“From buying and selling businesses to building a new startup I’ve been through the many ups and downs of entrepreneurship. I was afraid I would fail but decided to give it a go. I made plenty of mistakes, like everyone does. I tried this and that and slowly figured out what stuck,” Evers said. “Now I’m really excited to help others grow their businesses.”

As Director of Business and Entrepreneurial Services, Evers will help coach the many tenants of Meridian Technology Center’s Center for Business Development, located in Stillwater, and The Peak, located in Guthrie.

“When you own a business you can get really excited and caught up in building what you are passionate about,” Evers said. “Then you have to figure out details like taxes and good hiring practices, and it can be really challenging. That’s where the Center for Business Development comes in.”

From business consulting and coaching to providing office space Meridian’s Business and Entrepreneurial Services team helps people make their business dreams a reality.

“We have a really great resource for people who have started a business or even just have an idea they are interested in,” Evers said. “I’m looking forward to building relationships with the tenants, learning about their businesses and helping them grow.”

For more information about Meridian Technology Center’s Center for Business Development visit meridiantech.edu/bes/entrepreneurship or call 405.377.2220.

About Meridian Technology Center

Meridian Technology Center has been a driver of economic development since 1975. With a mission to educate, enrich lives and secure economic futures, Meridian offers full-time career training programs, short courses, workforce and economic development assistance and entrepreneurial support to residents from the Agra, Carney, Glencoe, Guthrie, Morrison, Mulhall-Orlando, Pawnee, Perkins-Tryon, Perry and Stillwater school districts. The school has locations in Stillwater and Guthrie. Meridian is one of 29 schools within Oklahoma’s CareerTech system.

For more information or to enroll, visit meridiantech.edu or contact a career counselor by phone at (405) 377-3333 or toll-free at (888) 607-2509.