KCMO adds $350K for entrepreneurs to proposed city budget after advocates’ last-minute push
March 21, 2019 | Austin Barnes
Kansas City entrepreneur advocates gained more momentum Thursday in their bid to receive greater civic support for startups and small businesses.
“Entrepreneurs and small businesses are the driver of the Kansas City economy,” KCMO councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Scott Wagner told Startland Thursday afternoon, following the approval of the city’s $1.73 billion budget.
An additional $350,000 has been allocated to the Urban Business Growth initiative and for general entrepreneurial support.
“This item [is a result of advocacy from] the entrepreneurship community,” added Scott Huizenga, city budget officer, during Thursday’s city council meeting. “They came out in force at our public hearings.”
Kansas City city hall
More than 50 entrepreneurs and startup founders gathered for a public budget hearing earlier this month, calling on the council to better support entrepreneurial endeavors, given the economic impact they bring to the city, Eze Redwood, Rise Fast founder and startup community organizer, said at the time.
Click here to read more about Redwood’s comments to council members.
“I’m pleased that we have been able to place more money in the city’s budget to build capacity and the ecosystem to support [startup] development,” Wagner said Thursday.
Small business owners, startup founders, and advocates of the entrepreneurial ecosystem once again gathered Thursday in support of the amendment to the proposed budget –– which was ultimately approved with no hesitation from council members during the afternoons public meeting.
Now approved, the funds will be combined with $200,000 already set aside for entrepreneurial support, Huizenga said.
Funds could be used to support or inject resources, such as support or training opportunities, into the startup and small business space –– as deemed appropriate by the assistant city manager.
“This is one of the top priorities that came out of our public hearings this year,” Huizenga added.
The KCMO budget year runs May 1 through April 30.
Click here to view details of the budget.
2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
17 KC entrepreneurs selected to ‘ScaleUP!’
A KCSourceLink program that connects high-achieving entrepreneurs with mentors and resources announced its latest brood of businesspeople. ScaleUp! KC revealed Wednesday a group of 17 Kansas City-area entrepreneurs that hope to kick their businesses into higher gear. The diverse group includes entrepreneurs in such fields as software, transportation, fitness, food and more. It is the…
Kauffman Foundation dishing $2M to programs for entrepreneurs
With a new CEO and revamped strategic plan, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is bolstering its support of U.S. programs aimed at helping entrepreneurs. The Kansas City-based foundation is allocating about $2 million in grants to tax-exempt organizations expanding programs that are successful in supporting U.S. entrepreneurs. The grants, which will range between $250,000 and…
Mentorship opportunities abound in KC
Those hoping to further their businesses with the help of seasoned professionals need not look far. An array of opportunities await professionals seeking help to find their way through the foggy labyrinth of creating a business. Organizations such as KCSourceLink, which helps startups and small businesses find resources to grow, work to connect entrepreneurs with…
KC learning, sharing stories at TECHNA conference
Dozens of leaders in North American technology will be arriving in Kansas City this week to learn about area successes like Google Fiber and the Cisco Smart City project. Set for Wednesday through Friday, the annual Technology Councils of North America (TECHNA) conference will host about 60 cities’ technology councils from the U.S. and Canada.…