More than a check: How a Google partnership is fueling an OnRamp to AI education at Keystone

Twin AI education programs launching this spring and summer at Keystone CoLabs serve as proof points for what corporate-community partnerships can look like when designed for lasting impact rather than optics, said Kevin McGinnis.

The OnRamp initiatives — supported by Google — are structured to expand access to artificial intelligence for youth, founders, and first-time learners to develop foundational AI fluency, practical application skills, and the critical thinking needed to navigate an AI-driven economy.

“Our corporate engagement strategy is built on a simple premise: corporations have resources, expertise, and reach — communities have talent, ideas, and needs,” said McGinnis, CEO of Keystone Community Corporation. “Keystone sits in the middle, building the infrastructure to connect them in ways that create real, measurable outcomes.”

Google officials were on hand earlier this month at Keystone during Endeavor Heartland’s Corporate Connections Summit in Kansas City to support the ground-level launch of the OnRamp programs.

“With Google, we didn’t just accept a sponsorship check,” said McGinnis. “We co-designed a program that advances their community impact goals — AI literacy, workforce development, access to technology — while addressing three of Kansas City’s most critical priorities: economic mobility, community safety through structured youth engagement, and workforce readiness tied to emerging career pathways.”

The initiative is framed in two parts:

• OnRamp | Start — tailored for founders, professionals, and adult learners seeking to integrate AI into their work and ventures.
• OnRamp | Foundations — designed for young adults, providing hands-on exposure to emerging technology, structured mentorship, and real-world problem-solving experience.

Click here to learn more about the OnRamp programs.

OnRamp | Start is set to debut first, launching May 5 with its first cohort of 25 participants for four weeks of programming (eight sessions). Only a few spots remain. Click here to join or find more details.

Keystone CoLAB in Kanas City’s East Crossroads; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

AI literacy today is comparable to computer literacy in the early 2000s, McGinnis said, noting it rapidly is becoming a foundational skill across industries from healthcare to construction, logistics to creative media. Yet access to this knowledge remains unevenly distributed.

Partnering with Google allows Keystone to bridge the gap in access to transformative technology at the community level, where the highest impact can be achieved, he added.

“That’s the model,” McGinnis continued. “OnRamp Foundations isn’t a one-off laptop donation or a logo on a banner. It’s sustainable infrastructure that keeps producing outcomes long after the initial investment. That’s what we’re offering every corporate partner who wants to do more than write a check — we help them build something that actually moves the needle.”

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Kyle Hollins, founder and CEO of Lyrik’s Institution and a 2023 Pinnacle Prize Winner; courtesy photo

The first OnRamp | Foundations cohort — set to begin in June — will serve youth connected through Lyrik’s Institution, a community organization focused on engaging urban youth in structured pathways to leadership and growth.

“AI has the power to code-switch the language of poverty, translating lived experiences into insights that systems and institutions can understand,” said Kyle Hollins, founder and CEO of Lyrik’s Institution. “When we truly understand the language of identity, culture, and circumstance, we can design solutions that actually solve the problem.”

The OnRamp programs address three of Kansas City’s most critical priorities simultaneously, McGinnis noted: community safety through structured youth engagement, workforce development through applicable skills tied to growing career pathways, and economic mobility through early exposure to emerging technology.

“At Google, we believe AI education should be accessible, responsible, and empowering for everyone,” said Utaukwa Allen, global lead for Google in data center economic and community development. “Our partnership with Keystone reflects that commitment — expanding foundational AI literacy and entrepreneurial capability across Kansas City. Through programs like OnRamp, we’re ensuring that the promise of innovation isn’t reserved for the few but becomes a shared opportunity for all.”

Google’s presence at this month’s Corporate Connections Summit was about answering a critical question, McGinnis said: How does Kansas City get more corporations meaningfully engaged in the innovation ecosystem — not just as sponsors, but as active participants in building startups and strengthening communities?

“Google was here doing exactly that — participating in reverse pitches, problem-solving alongside founders, and exploring how corporate resources can accelerate startup growth,” he said. “But corporate engagement isn’t just about startups. It’s about the full ecosystem, and that includes community.”

OnRamp’s programs are the community side of that same equation, McGinnis noted.

“It’s what happens when a corporation like Google says, ‘We don’t just want to engage with the startups that already exist — we want to invest in the pipeline of talent and innovation that will create the next generation of founders and workforce,’” he said.

“That’s the through-line: whether it’s a reverse pitch with a growth-stage startup or a 4-week AI bootcamp for young people in urban Kansas City, it’s all part of the same strategy — building an innovation ecosystem where corporations, startups, and communities are connected and growing together.”