From the Capitol to the Startup: Why a State Senator Quit Politics to Fund Founders

Travis Fitzwater spent 12 years in the Missouri legislature building the policy infrastructure behind the state's innovation economy — the Right to Start Act, the Office of Entrepreneurship, STEM workforce mandates. Then, instead of running for reelection, he walked away from the chamber to lead the Missouri Technology Corporation, the state-backed venture fund he once helped govern from a board seat. In this live taping of The Disruption Lab, host Kevin McGinnis sits down with Fitzwater to unpack the tension between building systems from the outside and operating them from the inside. They explore why entrepreneurship remains one of the most bipartisan policy issues in the country yet still struggles to compete for attention against corporate recruitment incentives and tax credit packages. Fitzwater talks honestly about what it means to invest taxpayer dollars in startups, why MTC's thesis looks different from a traditional VC, and how a $95 million federal infusion creates both opportunity and urgency for long-term sustainability. The conversation also gets personal — from a five-way primary where every ally disappeared, to the Friday pizza nights that keep his family grounded, to a leadership philosophy rooted in service over self. Whether you're a founder navigating the ecosystem, a policymaker thinking about economic development, or someone trying to understand how innovation actually gets funded in middle America, this one's worth your time.