LaunchKC earns honors of its own, must still keep hustling, KC eco devo leader says
October 13, 2018 | Elyssa Bezner
Receiving the Bronze Excellence in Economic Development Award proves the real market value for programs like LaunchKC, said Drew Solomon.
Drew Solomon, Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City
The win has been energizing, said Solomon, senior vice president of business and job development at the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, which partners with the Downtown Council of Kansas City to make the program liftoff.
LaunchKC awards $500,000 to nine startups each year through its popular grant competition. Click here to read about this year’s winners — awarded Friday in Power & Light.
The program earned its own honor earlier this month from the International Economic Development Council, the world’s largest membership organization for economic development professionals, in Atlanta, Georgia.
“[The award is] validating, but there’s still a ton of work to do,” said Solomon. “We’ve got to keep hustling and doing all the things that we do.”
LaunchKC has awarded $1.5 million in funding to 29 startups to date, spanning a spectrum of tech-related industries, according to a press release.
“This year, our judges reviewed some extraordinary projects that advanced both communities and businesses,” said Craig Richard, 2018 IEDC board chair. “What we learn from each other helps us to grow and advance as a profession. We look forward to even greater participation from economic developers across the globe in the 2019 awards program.”
Click here to read more about how LaunchKC has impacted grant recipients.
Featured Business
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
The Nelle — a ‘third space’ for women and LGBTQ+ creatives — closing its doors Jan. 31
Lauren Saks Merriman is proud of The Nelle HQ’s two years in the Crossroads Arts District, she said, recalling its impact as a genuine environment for empowered thought, inclusion and connection. “We set out to offer a safe space for inspiration and community,” said Merriman, founder of The Nelle. “And that’s exactly what we’ve accomplished.” …
2023 is about ‘going deeper’: Startups to Watch gathers founders from streetwear, tech to NFTs, Esports (Event Photos)
Storytelling brings communities together, said Austin Barnes, as nearly 200 of the region’s corporate, small business and startup leaders gathered for Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2023 reception and awards presentation. “Startups to Watch is an opportunity for Startland News to do what it does best — amplify the story of entrepreneurship…
What’s in a name? KC filmmakers’ documentary short finds ‘Black joy,’ Sundance premiere in reclaiming a family name
Names hold a person’s legacy and connect them to their past. Names are individualistic while also a representation of family units. Names are the first thing people own in the world, said Kansas City filmmakers Sharon Liese and Catherine Hoffman. The duo came together to tell the complicated, yet joyous, story of the Parker family.…
SnapIT’s founder builds tech company’s mission overseas while growing talent pool in Kansas
Employers across the globe need access to tech talent as demand for skilled IT workers surges, said Neelima Parasker, noting her Overland Park-based firm writes critical coding for the solution. “What we provide is unique in the sense that we are producing tech talent the fastest through microcredentials,” said Parasker, the founder and CEO of…