Latest Stories
Brood of Bird electric scooters land in Kansas City
Birds of a feather scoot together. Joining more than 20 cities across the U.S., Kansas City became the most recent community to welcome a flock of Bird electric scooters. The Los Angeles-based firm dropped off dozens of black, lithium-ion-powered scooters throughout Kansas City, allowing users to rent the vehicles and zip across town with a…
Photos: Kauffman’s ESHIP Summit sees strength in numbers, diversity
Despite a living legacy of ongoing entrepreneurial support, even the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation doesn’t have all the answers, Wendy Guillies told a 600-strong crowd at Wednesday’s ESHIP Summit kickoff in Kansas City. “We approach our work with a great deal of humility,” said Guillies, Kauffman Foundation president and CEO. “We need to listen and…
Rewriting the playbook: ESHIP Summit eyes new model of economic development
Whether it be in art, technology or science, fledgling fields of study often face challenges of legitimacy when they enter the mainstream. Such is the case for the domain of ecosystem building, which struggles to find validity for and unity among those working to create vibrant communities in which entrepreneurs thrive, said Victor Hwang, vice…
Manual entrepreneurship, refuge: ‘Farming is just the vehicle,’ says BoysGrow founder
“What’s the word?” “Respect!” shouted the teenage farmhands at BoysGrow, a two-year program dedicated to teaching entrepreneurship to urban youth through agriculture and farming. The 10-acre BoysGrow farm outside Grandview plays host to 30 to 40 boys, ranging in age from 15 to 17. They work, eat and learn on the nonprofit farm three days…
OP greenlights Edison District walking community envisioned by former startup executive
Less than a month after announcing the launch of a second coworking location in Johnson County, the former startup executive behind Edison Spaces revealed news of a new project: a mixed-use district that repurposes a block previously defined by its church grounds. Centered around a five-story office building that features a chef-driven food hall, the Edison…
High-growth additions: PayIt, Main Street Data earn slots in $19M KCRise Fund portfolio
Investing in Kansas City startups ultimately brings greater interest from outside funding sources, said Darcy Howe, KCRise Fund founder and managing director. “We continue to be impressed by the increasing early stage deal flow in our region,” Howe said Tuesday in announcing the additions of Kansas City-based PayIt and Main Street Data to the fund’s…
Digital Sandbox KC nabs $950K to continue regional startup impact
Already with a lasting legacy of growing the area entrepreneurial ecosystem, Digital Sandbox KC has received significant support that should fuel its program for years to come. The proof-of-concept incubator was recently awarded a combined $950,000 — $450,000 from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and $500,000 from the Missouri Technology Corporation. The two grants will…
Victor Hwang: Individual entrepreneurs hold the key to making America great again
Victor Hwang posed a riddle to a TEDx crowd gathered in Georgia. What five-letter word was overlooked during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and almost never mentioned by the candidates or at the party conventions? The answer is rooted in overcoming inequality, said Hwang, vice president of entrepreneurship for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. “I’m…
Startup newbie: How researching entrepreneurship in Medellin led me to Kansas City
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. When my wife Megan and I visited Kansas City this past January as part of our “city shopping tour,” there was much that impressed us and led to our decision to make it our new home. In many respects, we chose Kansas City…
Buildings and bus stops: Rebecca Tombaugh paints KC — sometimes with a stick
A lack of clear direction felt liberating as Rebecca Tombaugh unrolled a 12-foot piece of heavy paper in her backyard and got to work, she said. The 59-year-old artist had been tasked with painting a mural of sorts for the Nonprofit Village, a coworking spot that soon would open at 31 W. 31st Street. It’s…
