Fashion Arts Fund names new leader as shift toward new vision comes into focus
November 20, 2024 | Startland News Staff
A Kansas City nonprofit dedicated to making impact on the city’s fashion scene announced its new executive director Wednesday — stitching a dyed-in-the-wool KC fashion designer into the organization’s new look.
Elon Kebede — founder, designer, and creative director for Kansas City, Kansas-based ELU by Elon — is expected to lead the Fashion Arts Fund, which began re-envisioning its programs and underwent a name change in early 2023.
As a first generation Ethiopian-American, Kebede’s overarching, long term vision is to develop her brand to a point she is able to have a related philanthropic endeavor that builds and operates schools in Ethiopia.
She’ll take a step toward those education-focused pursuits locally with the Fashion Arts Fund.
Among its initiatives, the organization boasts a competitive scholarship program, targeting promising Kansas City natives in their pursuit of fashion-related, postsecondary degrees. Award amounts range from $1,000 to $3,000 each and can be paid toward any two- or four-year fashion school.
Click here to learn more about Fashion Arts Fund’s scholarships. The organization also focuses on reaching aspiring designers through mentorships, and seminars.
Jennifer Lapka, Fashion Arts Fund; photo by Jeff Evrard
The years-long transition at the Fashion Arts Fund has been led by Jennifer Lapka, a leader in the Kansas City fashion community who was retained by the organization’s board as a consultant. In that role, Lapka has piloted the new programs, grown their donor base, and led the executive director recruitment process to find Kebede.
“Elon is a one-in-a-million person who thinks and acts with incredible foresight and character,” Lapka said. “Her experiences with Brother Vellis in New York, New York Fashion Week, and Nardos Bridal in Dallas, and the fact she is a fashion designer choosing to build her brand in Kansas City, all gave her a special edge in the selection process.”
Kebede’s collections have been seen at Kansas City Fashion Week, New York Fashion Week, Omaha Fashion Week, and Where Are You Outreach Fashion Show in Dallas — showcasing her credentials on the scene, Lapka added.
“With shared passions for helping others and elevating the Kansas City fashion community, I am so excited to share all of my nonprofit operational and fundraising experience with Elon,” she said.
Kebede’s experience specifically building her ELU by Elon evening wear and bridal gown business in Kansas City has shown her the region’s unique challenges — and opportunities for solutions, the new leader said. She emphasized a desire to help others in the fashion community the way the organization already helped her as a designer.
“Last year, Fashion Arts Fund provided me with an exceptional opportunity via their mentorship program where I was paired with an experienced fashion professional, Tisha Mitchell, who helped me solve some of these challenges,” Kebede said. “I believe in Fashion Arts Fund and want to see it flourish so it can help other designers like me.”
2024 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
C2FO raises massive $100M round for global expansion
In what is believed to be the largest venture-backed funding round in the Kansas City area’s history, C2FO is lighting the fuse on its global expansion with a $100 million capital raise. The Leawood-based financial tech firm’s round was led by Munich-based Allianz X and Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Investment Company, and included participation from Temasek,…
Techweek KC returning with big LaunchKC, Techstars, BetaBlox demo days
One of Kansas City’s biggest conference series for entrepreneurs is returning in October alongside some of KC’s most premier accelerator programs, said Amanda Signorelli, CEO of Techweek KC. Demo days for Techstars KC and BetaBlox will join LaunchKC as signature events during the Oct. 8-12 conference, she said. “Combined with the nationally recognized LaunchKC competition…
Techstars KC alum Grit Virtual posts $840K oversubscribed seed round
Reality is starting to sink in for Grit Virtual, said co-founder Chris Callen. “It’s exciting to finally be able to talk about our funding rounds and the successes we have had,” Callen said. “It’s been an exciting ride so far, and we’re kind of gearing up to make it a real company, not just an R&D…
State of Entrepreneurship Address: Redefine ‘entrepreneur’ through inclusion
Entrepreneurship rates are half of what they were a generation ago, and although the U.S. population is increasingly diverse, educated and older, the nation’s entrepreneurial population isn’t changing at the same pace, Wendy Guillies said. Founders face too many barriers, said Guillies, president and chief executive officer of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Wednesday morning…