Nixon announces $1.2M in grants to KC programs
September 18, 2015 | Ashley Jost
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon made an appearance at Techweek Thursday to announce $1.19 million in grants to three Kansas City organizations through the Missouri Technology Corporation.
Of the $1.19 million, $565,000 is going to LaunchKC, $500,000 is going to the Digital Sandbox KC and $125,000 is going to the Independence Economic Development Council. The 2016 Missouri budget signed by Gov. Nixon includes nearly $16 million for programs at the MTC, a public-private partnership promoting entrepreneurship.
The grants are geared primarily toward providing mentors, access to capital, and coworking opportunities.
“Year after year, we continue to see more enterprising Missourians starting and expanding their businesses, creating jobs and growing our economy” Nixon said in a release. “With these new investments to help startups and entrepreneurs launch their businesses, we will continue to ensure that the next big idea in tech innovation happens right here in Missouri.”
Nixon’s announcement came before he introduced Techweek keynote speaker Jim McKelvey, co-founder of LaunchCode and Square. The governor was introduced by Techweek’s CEO Katy Lynch.
“This city has a burgeoning tech scene, and we’re here to highlight the people, initiatives, and the companies that make KC great,” Lynch said in a news release. “Startups and the organizations that enable them are growing at an exciting rate here. It is very impressive to see how supportive state and local government has been in promoting new business growth in the region. It’s no surprise that there’s a strong sense of community and pride throughout the city.”
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
After shootings, ‘It’s most important to keep the public safe,’ Smart City leaders say
Citizens expect public safety from their city government to encompass such basics as sidewalks and water, Bob Bennett said. And for that reason, improving public safety must be a top concern for smart city projects around the nation, the chief innovation officer at the City of Kansas City, Missouri, added. “We have to provide the…
$1.6M grant will create incubator for low-income, minority entrepreneurs
A large federal grant will help reanimate an older industrial building in Kansas City to serve as a small business incubator. The U.S. Economic Development Administration recently awarded a $1.6 million grant to the Hispanic Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri. The Kansas City organization said that the grant should create about 90 new…
Kauffman report: KC ranks 28 out of 40 in entrepreneurial growth
Fewer Kansas City companies are growing to become medium- or large-sized firms, according to a report released Thursday by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. It’s a common story across the U.S., as the nation rebounds from the slump of the Great Recession, the report says. The 2017 Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship report suggests the…
Housing trends show young professionals don’t care about Troost’s stigma, UC-B says
Lance Carlton initially was skeptical of developing east of Troost Avenue, he said. “But the mentality of the market has changed,” said Carlton, co-managing partner of UC-B Properties, which brought its offices to the 4300 block of Troost in August 2016. The company helped prove an appetite for residential development on the corridor with 19…