New EDCKC leader wants entrepreneurs, city ready when KC’s next big break comes knocking
September 10, 2026 | Tommy Felts
Andrea Bough, Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City; photo courtesy of EDCKC
Kansas City finds itself at a critical juncture, said Andrea Bough, describing a region that in recent years has earned a spot on the national stage and now must keep pushing forward to truly capitalize on opportunities that could transform the city for generations to come.
“I’m all for spotlighting Kansas City as a hidden gem, but I don’t think we’re hidden anymore,” said Bough, the newly appointed interim president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City (EDCKC). “Our task now is to make sure people don’t forget about us.”
Andrea Bough, then 6th District at-large councilwoman for KCMO, speaks in September 2024 during a press conference to announce Kansas City’s Back to Business Fund; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
With more than two decades of experience in economic development, commercial real estate, land use, and public service, Bough transitioned into the EDC leadership position in late August following the departure of Tracey Lewis, who served as president and CEO of the agency since July 2022.
“I’m not here to make huge changes,” Bough told Startland News. “I’m here to ensure we are doing everything in our power to ensure that Kansas City is moving forward, capturing the momentum that we’ve had this summer, and are continuing to attract — and keep — the attention of the region, the U.S., and the world.”
A longtime attorney who previously served as chair of EDCKC’s board, Bough resigned her city council position representing KCMO’s 6th District at-large last month to take on the economic development leadership role. Former Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McManus was selected by Mayor Quinton Lucas to fill her term on the council.
EDCKC’s work — from neighborhood investment and small-business development to business attractions, expansion, and major land development initiatives — remains critical to shaping not only Kansas City’s identity, but its reality on the ground, Bough explained.
A rendering of the outfield plaza at the future of Royals stadium at Crown Center; rendering courtesy of Populous
Opportunities like the Royals’ new ballpark project at Crown Center provide a high-profile look into how the organization aligns its priorities with the city and other partners to coordinate action in long-term economic impact, she said.
“EDCKC is playing a role with Royals because there’s a TIF element at play,” Bough explained, referencing her agency’s leadership of the city’s Tax Increment Financing Commission that is establishing a financing plan for the massive stadium deal. “But from a broader perspective with huge development projects like this, it’s about being at the table and in the economic development discussion as the deal is coming together — whether that’s dealing with the actual financing of the project, looking at how it impacts a group like small business owners, or how it could transform Kansas City as a whole.”
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“The best thing I can do is just walk in, sit down at the table, and ask how we can work together to get the best deal possible for Kansas City,” she continued.
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Collaborating with groups like Port KC to ensure partners are compromising to accomplish each organization’s priorities is key, she said, while presenting a united front at the bargaining table.
“It helps not only the project, but the ancillary development, the small businesses around it, the neighborhoods, and the taxing jurisdictions,” Bough said.
Hallmark Cards corporate headquarters sits at Crown Center, near the site of the future centerfield for the Kansas City Royals new ballpark, set to open in 2030; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Taking a holistic approach — even when the top headline is about keeping Hallmark Cards’ corporate headquarters or landing a new major employer — helps advance EDCKC’s outcomes-driven strategy to make economic development easier to navigate for entrepreneurs, strengthen Kansas City’s competitive advantages, and connect public investment to measurable public benefit, she noted.
“Kansas City has talked a lot about big businesses — as we should — but we can’t just rely on attracting businesses from outside the region as our strategy,” Bough said. “Yes, when you can bring in a new corporate headquarters, dollars follow. But we also have to grow our own entrepreneurs who are already right here in Kansas City.”
They’re going to build some of the biggest companies in the region, she said, emphasizing the long tail of companies like Hallmark that have already made their marks on the city’s skyline and along its main streets.
“Entrepreneurship is economic development,” Bough said. “And ensuring that they have the tools and support is key to our perspective on economic development and our mission going forward.”
While she’s already looking to streamline EDCKC’s work to find new efficiencies, Bough’s goal is to push forward with what already works and expand existing programs for small businesses that have the potential to do more.
Recent history has shown the value of readiness when Kansas City’s next big break comes knocking, she said.
“There’s always hope that big opportunities — whether it’s big events like the World Cup or big developments like the Royals — will have a big impact for entrepreneurs and small businesses,” Bough explained, noting sentiments gleaned from straddling her role on the city council and new responsibilities at EDCKC. “But what we learned from the NFL Draft was that it’s not just going to happen without preparation.”
Union Station visitors file into the City of Entrepreneurs marketplace on June 27, a date which saw more than 10,000 potential shoppers venture through the Grand Hall; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
“Initiatives like the City of Entrepreneurs at Union Station (during World Cup) saw a huge impact on entrepreneurs by providing needed visibility; our Open Doors! program got business owners into storefronts faster than they would’ve been able to on their own,” she continued. “It’s about ensuring there’s a connection between these entrepreneurs and the public who can become their customers, but also providing a link between small businesses and city services, access to capital, and other resources that can empower them to achieve the success they need and deserve.”
The success of such programming demonstrates the potential for a more visible role for EDCKC in guiding entrepreneurs throughout their journeys, Bough said, helping them to understand they might not need to hire an attorney, accountant, or another specialist just to get through a business-building process that likely seems foreign to them.
“EDCKC is here to bridge that gap, whether it’s providing low interest loans, business services, access to capital, without making entrepreneurs — who already are working hard to bring their businesses to life — jump through hoops and over hurdles just to navigate the systems in place,” she said.
With deep ties to EDCKC’s work going back decades, Bough said, she’s confident in the agency’s current staff and their focus. Their professionalism and commitment has eased her transition into the interim leadership role, she noted, helping her to lean into her own background as an entrepreneur and leader to hit the ground running.
“My experience in private practice, my professional career, and what I’ve done on the council has allowed me to jump and start working from Day 1,” she said.
“My goal now is to make sure we are thinking boldly, we are executing efficiently, and we are in the community — assuring everyone that the EDCKC is open for business and we’re to help entrepreneurs and small businesses,” she continued. “I would love for us to be even more of a resource than we’ve been in the past.”
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