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
Start the ignition: These Operation Breakthrough students just designed MADE MOBB’s latest drop
Vu Radley wants students at Operation Breakthrough’s Ignition Lab to have opportunities he wishes he would have been offered in high school, shared the co-owner of Crossroads-based streetwear brand MADE MOBB. His team spent the past nine months working with a handful of teens at the Ignition Lab — Josiah Bryant, Suleyman Dia, Jeremiyah Bradley,…
It’s going DAO: Why an NFT-fueled blockchain org is launching in KC alongside Global Pizza Day
A pizza party in a Midtown eatery covered in art is expected to mark the launch of a Nouns DAO chapter in Kansas City — a group endeavoring to fund local creativity, support the public good and expand access to decentralized cultural funding. But there’s more at stake than just getting a piece of the…
Next-gen threats loom: Cybersecurity veteran weaves solution for businesses of all verticals, sizes
Short-handed and dispersed teams face growing risks as they amass technology, said Chuck Crawford, detailing how technology debt and sprawl lead not only to underutilized tech and siloed environments — but open the door to cybersecurity threats. Such next-generation challenges require the expertise of an industry veteran like Crawford, who launched Loom Security in April…
Leave KC better than you found it: How matching growth to city’s needs is paying off
Editor’s note: The following is the first in a four-part series exploring the verticals and impact of initiatives within the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City through a paid partnership with EDCKC. Wrong tool can wreck a neighborhood; Precision development key to avoiding gentrification’s negative impacts Homegrown startups can redefine KC; they just need help…