KC’s 10-year playbook: Celebrate the wins, but go faster, farther (and leave no talent behind)

A decade of focusing on inclusive prosperity helped Kansas City rise among its peers, said David Warm, but the next 10 years require the region work quickly, with even more intention, and leaning into Kansas City’s willingness to forge its own path, together.

“We are not going to get direction from the federal government. It will be up to us to drive our own change,” said Warm, executive director of the Mid-America Regional Council.

His words — delivered Tuesday from a stage at Kauffman Stadium — served as a call to action during Horizon 2025. The milestone event celebrated the 10-year anniversary of KC Rising, a civic initiative focused on growing an inclusive, sustainable economy in the Kansas City region.

In the past decade, the region has become a Top 20 city for international investment, while adding more than 72,000 new residents and nearly 34,000 new jobs.

KC Rising co-chairs Stacey Paine and Dave Frantze speak during the Horizon event at Kauffman Stadium; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“We’re proud of that momentum, but we know there will be opportunities and challenges ahead,” said Dave Frantze, co-chair for KC Rising.

To meet such challenges, KC Rising revealed its updated KC Investment Playbook, a blueprint for accelerating innovation and job growth in industries like healthcare, biosciences, energy, and defense.

Leaders from across the metro also convened in a workforce-focused panel to assess progress and strategize for the future.

“It’s been 10 years since KC Rising launched with a shared vision to grow a stronger, more inclusive regional economy,” said Stacey Paine, co-chair for KC Rising. “And today, we’re not just celebrating the progress we’ve made. We’re looking ahead together.”

Playing on KC’s strengths

The KC Investment Playbook was shaped by insights from national thought leaders, including national urban experts Bruce Katz and AJ Herrmann, explained Lisa Krigsten, board chair of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City.

Lisa Krigsten, board chair of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, discusses the KC Investment Playbook during KC Rising’s Horizon event at Kauffman Stadium; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“What does this region need to be doing right now to get to where we want to be, 5 to 10 years out?” Krigsten asked, referencing considerations that went into the playbook.

Katz, co-founder of New Localism Advisors, and Herrmann, director of policy and program innovation for Accelerator for America, helped officials at the Civic Council and Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation analyze Kansas City’s potential.

“This playbook held up a mirror to us. It showed us where our strengths are,” Krigsten said, noting the playbook ultimately identified three key sectors where Kansas City is well positioned to lead: energy, bioscience and defense.

Still in its early-stages, Krigsten emphasized the importance of collaboration and long-term commitment to bring the KC Investment Playbook to life.

“We’re going to have a lot more to talk about with the playbook, and each one of you hopefully will contribute to the success of this,” she added. “If you go fast, you go alone, but if you want to go far, you do it together.”

Workforce at the core

A recurring theme throughout the day: how to better connect the region’s workforce with future economic opportunities.

Moderated by Lia McIntosh, KC Rising director, a panel of workforce and civic leaders explored strategies to remove barriers to employment and create scalable, inclusive solutions.

Janelle Lee, vice president of human resources at The University of Kansas Health System, described how her team is investing in employees from the ground up.

“We are hiring folks that do not have a GED and we’re putting them through a GED program,” Lee said. “They get to go to school while they’re working. It’s amazing to see the confidence you can build in people.”

Qiana Thomason, president and CEO of the Health Forward Foundation, center, discusses workforce strengths within the region during the KC Rising Horizon event; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Qiana Thomason, president and CEO of the Health Forward Foundation, emphasized that inclusive hiring of diverse candidates is not just about equity; it’s also about outcomes.

“When we center people of color and people in rural communities, economic inclusion occurs, and disparate health outcomes are addressed,” she said.

To build a more representative healthcare workforce by 2034, Kansas City will need 2,350 additional nurses, 290 physicians and surgeons, and 650 mental health professionals, Thomason noted.

Clyde McQueen, Full Employment Council, speaks alongside Leigh Anne Taylor Knight, The DeBruce Foundation, during KC Rising’s Horizon event at Kauffman Stadium; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Talent in the trenches

Support for dislocated and underserved workers was another key focus. Keely Schneider, executive director of Workforce Partnership, highlighted a new approach to helping those who face job loss.

“We now have an outplacement hub that provides on-demand, customized services,” she said. “Instead of saying, ‘Go to our orientation,’ we sit right here with you, one on one.”

Clyde McQueen, president and CEO of the Full Employment Council, said basic supports, like child care, are essential to any serious workforce plan.

“You’ve got to be able to work early, work late. If not, (parents) will not even apply because they can’t figure it out,” he said. “We developed a child care apprenticeship, and trained over 60 associates earning $16 an hour.”

Leigh Anne Taylor Knight, executive director of The DeBruce Foundation, pointed to the organization’s scalable tools like the Agile Work Profiler, which has already reached more than 350,000 people in helping them find career paths that are the best fit.

“This is all about no talent left behind,” she said. “You as an industry need to be able to hire those folks. That’s the power behind this region and its economics.”

Aligning as one

As the panel wrapped, Warm underlined what’s at stake: KC is currently growing, but at a slower pace compared to many cities across the country; and collaboration is needed to continue forward.

“We have incredible assets in this town,” Warm said. “The work ahead is to align those assets, to get the results we need.”

He pointed to efforts like the U.S. Chamber’s Talent Pipeline Management  system to help connect employers and educators more systematically.

“A great Kansas City isn’t just about growth, it’s about shared growth,” Frantze reminded the audience.

“We are KC Rising. That means we all play a part in aligning around what matters most,” Paine added, “to grow the economy and include everyone.”