Porter House KC earns $400K in renewed support for inclusive entrepreneurship, retail incubator 

Support from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation is expected to help The Porter House KC make good on its founders’ promise to help emerging entrepreneurs in their community get their promising ventures off the ground, said Dan Smith.

Victoria Campbell Osborne, The Scented Webb, accepts her prize at The Porter House KC’s June 2023 Pitch Night, sponsored by JPMorgan Chase Foundation; photo by Austin Barnes, Startland News

“Like many of the small business owners that we encounter, we started our organization based on a need we saw within the community,” said Smith, who co-founded The Porter House KC alongside Charon Thompson. The serial entrepreneurs and fraternity brothers launched the effort in 2018. “From there, we’ve been nothing but grateful to be supported, challenged, and … believed in, by partners like the JPMorgan Chase Foundation.”

A philanthropic investment of $400,000 for The Porter House KC (PHKC), a program of Credit & Homeownership Empowerment Services (CHES), was announced Friday. The funds are expected to boost PHKC’s work to improve entrepreneurship access and resources to underserved populations in the Kansas City metro area.

It’s a continuation of backing from JPMorgan Chase, which previously helped fund The Porter House KC’s Scale Deep grants program.

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“Without support like this, we truly would not be in a position to continue our initial promise that embodies what PHKC continues to be,” said Smith, whose PHKC team also includes the leadership of Miranda Schultz, director of operations. 

The Porter House KC’s 811 Retail Incubator, August 2023; photo by Channa Steinmetz, Startland News

Dan Smith, The Porter House KC, speaks during a panel on “Scaling Deep” — a philosophy PHKC has championed with the support of JPMorgan Chase Foundation — during a 2023 session at Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

JPMorgan Chase’s dollars will be used specifically to provide technical assistance for underrepresented small and micro business owners (employing fewer than 10 people). This grant will include support for PHKC’s new physical incubator space, 811, which will offer a brick-and-mortar location to boost retail entrepreneurship from the urban core.

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The newly announced JPMorgan Chase grant will further support programming to provide mentorship, coaching, and education on critical entrepreneurship-related topics like management, accounting, and strategic planning for small businesses. 

“Porter House KC has a strong record of helping underserved entrepreneurs start and scale their businesses,” said Victoria Adams Phipps, vice president of global philanthropy and program officer at JPMorgan Chase. “We are proud to support their deeply impactful work to empower community, create local jobs, and build wealth in Kansas City.”