Corporate

Game on: Kauffman adds 37 nonprofits to its just-funded roster, building impact capacity ahead of World Cup

By Tommy Felts / July 1, 2025

Efforts to boost economic mobility across Kansas City and beyond needn’t follow a well-worn playbook, Kauffman Foundation officials said, announcing a range of newly funded initiatives — from grassroots entrepreneurial training to World Cup-focused public-private partnerships to capital access expansion. The influential philanthropic organization announced this week it awarded $8.5 million in grants to 37…

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Coming home to KC: Brandon Haggard is sharpening his axe with humility

By Tommy Felts / June 27, 2025

Editor’s note: The following story was written and first published by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri (EDCKC). Click here to read the original story. For Brandon Haggard, returning to the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri (EDCKC) wasn’t just a career decision. It was a commitment — to impact, Kansas City, and building…

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Kauffman awards $5.8M funding pipeline to research how to close wealth gaps in KC, beyond

By Tommy Felts / June 18, 2025

Eight newly announced research grants from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation are expected to help catalyze research-based efforts aimed at growing equitable economic mobility in Kansas City, regionally, and nationally. More than $5.8 million in research funding will be disbursed over the next three years through this first round of grantmaking through Kauffman’s new research…

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Topeka’s new community-built innovation incubator turns soil; leaders eager to show the world what grows

By Tommy Felts / June 7, 2025

TOPEKA — It’s not just about breaking new ground in the state’s capital, said Neal Spencer; the Link Innovation Labs project’s global reach serves as “a foundation for growth, impact, and the future of our great city.” “It’ll be a hub for ideas, connection and opportunity — a place where startups launch, collaborators spark, and…

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Global startups plug into Topeka: How Kansas connections are powering their innovation

By Tommy Felts / June 7, 2025

TOPEKA — Collaboration in the Midwest is just a call away, said Romaine Redman. It’s a reality that sets the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem apart, he added, and a heartland trait that seeds Topeka’s Plug and Play accelerator with the potential for international impact. “I pick up the phone and I call someone, and they’re here…

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