Tom Esselman
KC team developing tool to get low-income entrepreneurs online (and it just got a $240K boost)
A collaborative project to “bridge the gap” in Kansas City’s digital divide secured one of the 2022 Heartland Challenge grants from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. PCs for People Kansas City (formerly Connecting for Good), in partnership with The Usher Garage and No-Where Consultants, will receive $240,000 in funding to be used over two years…
PCs for People: Connecting for Good upgrades amid ‘full-blown explosion of tech need’
A Kansas City-built nonprofit hoping to refurbish the metro’s perception of digital inclusivity is now an affiliate of PCs for People — a nationwide network with a shared goal. “Digital inclusion is ensuring that everybody — regardless of their income or where they live — has access to at least three things: affordable internet, affordable…
Connecting for Good refurbishes The Surplus Exchange with merger championing digital inclusion
Two Kansas City nonprofits are melding their expertise into a spearhead against the digital divide. “This is just the beginning of what will be a long-term love affair between Connecting For Good, digital inclusion, environmental leadership, and the Greater Kansas City metro and regional area,” said Tom Esselman, CEO of Connecting for Good. The Kansas…
Never say die: KC forges ahead with bold transportation plan
Kansas City’s bold ambitions for a next-generation transportation system may be down — but they’re not out. On June 22, Kansas City received news that it lost out on a $50 million award that would’ve revolutionized its transportation system. More than 120 public and private leaders collaborated on Kansas City’s pitch for the “Beyond Traffic,…
Connecting For Good CEO analyzes the area digital divide
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. After my first four months as CEO of Connecting For Good, I’m compelled to share a viewpoint on what the Kansas City digital divide looks like. Knowing the answer to this question is only the first step to tackling digital inclusion efforts, but…
