Kansas City gigabit projects can snag up to $25K from Mozilla
January 26, 2016 | Bobby Burch
The Mozilla Foundation is planning to empower Kansas City techies to improve their city.
The foundation — along with the National Science Foundation and US Ignite — announced Monday that it’s allocating $300,000 to civically-minded, gigabit pilot projects in Kansas City and Chattanooga, TN.
The Mozilla Gigabit Community Fund is now accepting applications from techies and educators in both cities to submit ideas. Applicants can be local companies, non-profits or other institutions interested in tapping Kansas City’ gigabit speeds to improve education and workforce development.
If selected, projects can receive funding between $5,000 and $25,000, in addition to ongoing support and mentoring from Mozilla. The projects must take place in Kansas City, but applicants can come from around the world.
To date, the Fund has supported the development of 17 pilot projects in Kansas City and Chattanooga. Past projects include improved first-responder equipment, a real-time water quality monitoring system and singing robots.
While limited in funding size, the fund has had a positive effect on the local community, Mozilla Gigabit City Lead Lindsey Frost said.
“From relatively small grants have come huge impacts, as these projects continue as yearlong courses in our schools or even as full-fledged gigabit tech startups,” Frost said in a release.
Featured Business
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Gator, shrimp po’boys made to order, but Chef Esra has more than sandwiches plated for KC’s East Side
Opening a restaurant is just one phase of Esra England’s vision for Kansas City’s East Side. “I’m looking at a restaurant as an anchor point. Once you have a restaurant in the area, the community will be able to do different things like host meetings or classes — and hopefully, other businesses will start to…
KC investors power $4.5M round for OP startup poised to ‘unlock billions’ for its customers
Overland Park-based Realto has closed a $4.5 million funding round — thanks in large part to the backing of Kansas City-based investors. “We’re excited to welcome these important investors as we continue to expand our robust trading capabilities across the universe of alternative products,” Brian King, co-founder and CEO, said in announcement of the funding round which…
Meet seven founders hoping to pay their bills while changing the world; LaunchKC Social Venture Studio unveils first cohort
Dr. Shelley Cooper held back tears during a nearly four-hour introductory session to the new LaunchKC Social Venture Studio earlier this spring, she said. She’d already found her calling with Diversity Telehealth; now the startup founder had discovered truly mission-aligned colleagues within her cohort. “My focus has always been to bring healthcare to underserved areas…
Kauffman anchors $100M fund to boost minority-led ventures, access to capital
Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial supporter of Startland News. A $100 million fund is expected to help close the wealth gap and better fund BIPOC-led ventures — thanks in part to Kansas City’s own Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Joining forces with Living Cities, the Kauffman Foundation has committed $10 million to…