Venture for America launches in KC to help startups find talent
December 6, 2016 | Meghan LeVota
A national fellowship program that helps recent graduates launch careers in entrepreneurship announced an expansion into Kansas City.
With a mission to revitalize American cities, Venture for America partners with startups, business leaders and foundations to connect young talent with early-stage companies. In addition to the opportunity to work hands on with startups, The New York City-based organization provides mentorship, network and resources for young people in 17 locations around the U.S.
Founder and CEO Andrew Yang noted that thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City was a natural choice for Venture for America’s expansion.
“We see tremendous potential in the Kansas City entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Yang said in a release. “We hope to seed this next generation of entrepreneurs with the skills, experience and networks they need to one day become successful entrepreneurs that create enduring jobs in Kansas City and across the country.”
Venture for America aims to put young people in a better position to contribute to economic development. The two-year fellowship program will begin in Kansas City in August 2017 and bring ten fellows to the Kansas City metro.
Victor Hwang, vice president of entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation, said he’s excited to usher more young people into the metro’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
”As a growing entrepreneurial city, Kansas City is primed for Venture for America’s keen ability to cultivate future entrepreneurs by matching them with startups,” Hwang said in a release. “Kansas City startups will gain as much as the VFA Fellows who will apprentice in these emerging companies.”
Since its launch in 2011, Venture for America has contributed to the creation of over 2,000 jobs in its partner cities, including St. Louis, Denver, San Antonio and others. If you’re interested in applying for the program, click here.
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Nominations for Techweek 100 list of premier KC innovators close Sept. 9
It’s not a ranking. Techweek 100 celebrates the whole spectrum of individuals and organizations who are impacting the business and technology landscape on a significant scale in cities like Kansas City, organizers said. Nominations close Sunday, Sept. 9. “Honorees include fast-growing technology companies, prominent sector investors, key contributing enablers of the digital ecosystem, those at…
Lenexa teen IDs winning medical solution with Parkinson’s detection tech FacePrint
Stanford University will have to wait. Eighteen-year-old Erin Smith is taking her medical technology venture, FacePrint, on the road. The Johnson County teen has been selected to join two prestigious fellowships to further develop FacePrint, which is a diagnostic and monitoring Tool for Parkinson’s Disease. She’s been tapped for $25,000 from the Davidson Institute for…
Velocity Lee’s Summit gets first big boost from city with $145K innovation investment
A $145,000 allocation for Velocity Lee’s Summit represents the first step in the City of Lee’s Summit getting serious about investing in innovation, said Grant Gooding. “There is a lot of talent in Lee’s Summit and we wanted to give entrepreneurs a place and an ecosystem to foster the development of their businesses,” said Gooding,…
Pure Pitch Rally returning to Techweek with land sharks hungry to invest more than $80K
A frenzy of land sharks ready to bite on startups’ best ideas is gathering at The American restaurant during Techweek to award up to $80,000 in cash and $500,000 in Amazon AWS Activate credits. The one-of-a-kind Pure Pitch Rally event — set for 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct 10 — plays off the hit…