Daniel Smith

2018 LaunchKC winners

Keystone Labs partners with LaunchKC to lead accelerator platform operations

Six years after launching as a grants competition, the ever-evolving LaunchKC program will continue as an accelerator platform, newly led by the minds behind Keystone Labs — an outgrowth of the Keystone innovation district effort championed by Kevin McGinnis. Announced Thursday morning during a meeting of the Downtown Council of Kansas City, the move is expected…

Charon Thompson and Daniel Smith, the Porter House KC

‘Someone to lean on’ — Forward KC partners to bring 1-on-1 mentorship to Troost, Prospect

It’s obvious where Kansas City’s underserved areas for entrepreneurial and community resources fall — the east side, said Morgan Perry, noting that 22 chambers of commerce serve other portions of Jackson County. “But for Troost, for Prospect — where are the resources on the ground for them? They are no one’s focus,” said Perry, who…

Daniel Smith, Porter House

Cultural differences contribute to entrepreneur access gap, Porter House founder says

Early education about entrepreneurism and the resources available aren’t typically priorities in low- to moderate-income communities, said Daniel Smith. “A lack of access results because we don’t really have a lot of programs in our communities that focus on small business and entrepreneurism,” said Smith, founder of The Porter House KC. “It’s more focused on…