Innovation district will look to black community for insight, McGinnis tells GEW crowd
November 13, 2018 | Austin Barnes
Developing an innovation district takes a village, Kevin McGinnis told a packed room of Global Entrepreneurship Week attendees — a cross-section of Kansas Citians eager to learn more about how his proposed Keystone innovation district could re-shape diversity and inclusion efforts in the startup space.
Kevin McGinnis, Keystone Community Corporation
“I’m not going to suggest that I’m bringing a bunch of Overland Park executives in to mentor the black community,” said McGinnis, CEO of the Keystone Community Corporation, attempting to clarify his plans during the GEW panel on emerging innovation districts.
Developers aren’t out to erase or diminish the heritage and history of the people who make their homes or businesses in the neighborhoods in and around 18th and Vine — the area the former Sprint executive and founder of the Sprint Accelerator intends to redevelop into an entrepreneurial hub, he said.
Click here to read more about the planned Keystone innovation district.
A series of diversity and community engagement programs are planned for the district, but have yet to be fleshed out, McGinnis added.
Speaking up during a question-and-answer period at the event, Nia Richardson, director of business development at DuBois Consultants, a Kansas City civil and structural engineering firm, challenged the generalities of McGinnis’ announced plans.
Ditching words like “diversity” and “inclusion” are a start, she said, encouraging the panel and attendees to directly address the reality than an innovation district would most impact the black community already living in the area proposed for redevelopment.
“It’s easy to be very specific [in what you’re doing],” said Richardson. “Be very intentional about making sure ‘I can grow black businesses and create more jobs’ to help combat the issues that you have [on the east side].”
The CEO and his partners are open to community-curated ideas and collaboration with local organizations as they navigate their role in diversifying the entrepreneurial ecosystem, he replied.
“We’re not there yet, and I’m not suggesting we have all the answers,” McGinnis said to Richardson, aiming to contrast the Keystone District proposal with fears of gentrification. “What I’m trying to create is a front door to the regional economy of innovation.”
All too often, diversity-led programming doesn’t know where to find a home in Kansas City, McGinnis argued. Establishing a centralized port of economic and entrepreneurial activity — like the Keystone District — could correct the course and provide a welcoming place for diverse and inclusive ideas and activities to flourish in Kansas City, he said.
“I’ve probably picked the most sensitive corridor in Kansas City,” McGinnis told the room, confident in his decision to redevelop in the area. “I’m willing to take [building the Keystone District] on and see what we can do with it.”
News of McGinnis plans for the Keystone District broke last month, shortly after his company secured its first parcel of land near 18th and Vine.
Featured Business
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
‘Get a glimpse of your future’ — Investors want data with your pitch
Editor’s Note: This content is sponsored by Mid-Continent Public Library but independently produced by Startland News. For more on the tools discussed in this article, click here. Imagine this. Your wearable tech firm is thriving — so much, in fact, that you need an injection of investment capital to maintain sustainable growth. You’ve booked some…
Launch It Successfully hopes to reduce early stage frustration, struggle for startups
A new accelerator program produced by key leaders of software development firm Illumisoft is helping innovators start their businesses by “cutting through the nonsense,” said Tyler Prince. “We want to help entrepreneurs succeed,” he said. “I think we live in an age when change happens so rapidly.” Launch It Successfully’s goal is to assist early…
Is government helping startups enough? Founders feel isolated, Kauffman survey finds
Early stage entrepreneurs struggle with the technical steps to getting started, a new Kauffman survey found, and founders don’t believe the government is helping them. The prevailing sentiment that entrepreneurs view themselves as isolated from assistance is understandable, said Melissa Roberts, vice president of strategy and economic development at the Enterprise Center in Johnson County.…
Kauffman survey: Women more critical of their own early-stage entrepreneurial efforts
Women entrepreneurs are more likely than their male counterparts to grade their performances harshly during the first year of business, though that tendency typically fades over time, according to a new survey by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. It often is about approaching the venture a realistic viewpoint, said Jeff Shackelford, executive director of Digital…