Mayor Sly James commits $10K for women in business efforts
September 23, 2015 | Ashley Jost
Kansas City Mayor Sly James recently announced two initiatives to benefit women in business and in science, technology, engineering and math fields.
Mayor James
James pledged $10,000 toward the Women’s Business Center‘s “WE-Lend Microloan Program,” which supports women-owned businesses in Kansas City, Mo., through funding, technical assistance and access to a financial coach. The mayor also announced additional support for the national Million Women Mentors initiative that aims to find mentors for girls and young women in STEM fields.
Both moves are apart of the mayor’s Women’s Empowerment Initiative, which James launched on March 27 with the Central Exchange, Women’s Foundation of Greater Kansas City, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Women’s Center.
“If Kansas City is truly going to be the tech-hub of the Midwest, we have to continue developing the next generation of tech leaders, and that has to include women and girls,” James said in a news release.
The initiative’s goal is to find one million mentors by 2018 for girls and young women nationally who are interested in STEM careers. Mentoring, James said, helps close the already small gap in the number of women in STEM careers who leave their jobs.
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
KC among the best cities to find a job
The City of Fountains is apparently overflowing with job opportunities. Career data Glassdoor recently named Kansas City, Mo. as the No. 2 city to find employment. Kansas City currently has nearly 28,800 employment opportunities, a median base salary $46,000 and median home value of $138,500. Glassdoor determined the final rankings by looking at hiring opportunity…
Recap: Bill would gut Kansas Bioscience Authority
A bill in the Kansas legislature if passed would dissolve the Kansas Bioscience Authority, which has recently served as a venture capital organization investing in early-stage bioscience firms. The measure — SB 305 — would shut down the organization and transfer its funds and obligations to the Kansas Department of Commence. Proponents of the KBA say…
Kansas City named a top tech locale
Kansas City again was touted as a top tech destination. Tech publication PC Magazine recently named Kansas City as one of “13 high-tech cities you’ll want to call home.” The magazine noted Kansas City’s access to Google Fiber, its low cost of living and communities such as the Kansas City Startup Village as reasons to…
Flow Forward Medical raises additional $1.3M
Flow Forward Medical boosted its latest funding round to further develop its device that helps improve outcomes for hemodialysis patients. The Olathe-based company closed a $1.3 million round of additional Series A financing led by the Kansas Bioscience Authority. Flow Forward previously raised $4.4 million, bringing its total funding raised to date to about $5.7 million.…