Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

KC BizCare awarded $300K by Kauffman for small business census, new ESO accelerator

Entrepreneurial support organizations experience many of the same challenges faced by Kansas City’s small business community, stifling their effectiveness, Nia Richardson noted.  “This includes staffing and resource constraints, lack of business education and practical experience, and fragmented systems of support. Without addressing these structural and systemic constraints, enabling equitable and inclusive small business growth will…

KC wants to be the nation’s most equitable hub for biologics; prestigious MIT pick could help

Biologics is the entryway to personalized medicine, said Sonia Hall, and Kansas City is aiming to create the most inclusive hub for the development, production and distribution of biologics as part of its acceptance to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program.  “When you talk about personalized medicine, you’re talking about greater equity…

Kauffman CEO retiring this fall: New leader must support ‘entrepreneur-focused economic development’

President and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation ​​Wendy Guillies announced that she will be retiring this fall after 22 years with the nonprofit.  “Like many people over the past extraordinary few years, I’ve reflected on my professional and personal priorities. What won’t change is my drive to engage in work that makes our…

Wendy Guillies, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Kauffman leader: Our economy can’t afford to leave half the population behind; there’s a new way forward

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Wendy Guillies is president and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Startland News is financially supported by the Kauffman Foundation and other sponsors. This commentary originally appeared in The Hill. I am not oblivious to the political divisions that dominate national news outlet…

Dave Johnson and the Chicken N Pickle team at the 2022 KC Chamber Small Business Celebration

Chamber awards ‘Small Business of the Year’ to trendsetter that caught ‘lightning in a bottle’

In its third match as a Top 10 Small Business, Chicken N Pickle earned the Chamber’s coveted Mr. K Award — signifying the North Kansas City family entertainment experience as the Small Business of the Year. Dave Johnson, founder of Chicken N Pickle, accepted the honor Wednesday during the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s…