KC selected as part of $42M data initiative
August 5, 2015 | Bobby Burch
The City of Kansas City, Mo., plans to boost its tech tools thanks to its recent acceptance into a national initiative to improve government data programs.
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced Wednesday that Kansas City was selected as part of its $42 million “What Works Cities” program. The initiative aims to help Kansas City and seven other communities enhance their data programs and policies to better citizens’ lives.
Kansas City now has a variety of technology programs, including its Open Data Portal, Digital Roadmap and KC Stat efforts. Kansas City Mayor Sly James said that “What Works Cities” will further advance those programs, and create new ideas of how data can better increase resident engagement and promote transparency.
“Kansas City is and wants to continue to be a national leader in the movement for municipal governance transparency and accountability,” James said in a release. “KC Stat, our Digital Roadmap and other initiatives have laid a firm foundation, and this selection will keep us ahead as a technologically advanced community.”
As part of the program, Kansas City leaders will work with data experts from a variety of organizations, including Results for America, the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University, the Government Performance Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School and more. The experts will help Kansas City officials create new data programs and policies, incorporate data into budget and policy decisions and conduct less-expensive evaluations of city programs.
Bloomberg Philanthropies selected Kansas City out of 112 applicants. The group also is working with Chattanooga, Tenn., Jackson, Miss., Louisville, Ky., Mesa, Ariz., New Orleans, La., Seattle, Wash. and Tulsa, Okla.
Bloomberg Philanthropies is led by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and works with dozens of organizations on public health, the environment, education, government innovation and the arts.
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
This Dirt Beast works the soil for $2 an hour; why harvesting joy from his urban farm fills the bag
Rows of peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and other vegetables now grow where more than a dozen Kansas City lots once sat vacant. The essence of Dirt Beast Farm is seeded in this soil, creating the ecosystem through which Jameson Hubbard has spent nearly a decade turning open land into food, flowers, and a space for neighbors…
CoBuild founder razes his social venture; now he’s banking its mission’s success on a new blueprint
Closing his startup CoBuild was bittersweet for Tate Williams, but the mission that drove the company isn’t going away. Instead, he’s carrying it forward in a new role at the Central Bank of Kansas City. Williams officially shut down CoBuild this January. The construction startup, launched in 2018, had built a reputation for opening doors…
ATHENA honorees: Lifting up the next generation elevates us all; give them a reason to dream
When women lead, communities rise, Dana Foote said, lifting up two ATHENA award winners whose work in Kansas City has created outcomes more meaningful than mere professional success: “the ripple effect of leadership.” “And I see that in the room tonight,” continued Foote, national managing partner of audit operations for KPMG, sponsor of the Greater…
Photos: Folklore transformed this rooftop for one-night; its $100K impact on small biz lasts even longer
A packed rooftop event that started five years ago as a small gathering among friends has grown into a sold-out celebration that not only highlights music, food, and tradition, but also invests back into local nonprofits and entrepreneurs, said Luis Padilla, founder of Folklore and its popular small business grant program. “That balance of culture…