Announced today, the Kansas City region’s business, civic and government leaders are launching KC Rising, a new effort that will:
- Build capacity to bring existing businesses to greater scale
- Synchronize and optimize initiatives supporting existing businesses
- Fully realize the KC region’s potential through business growth
KC Rising is initially focused on building capacity within three economic drivers: globally competitive sectors, innovation and entrepreneurship, and human capital. The planning process will be completed in three phases with regular reporting to the community: Issue Definition and Vision Setting; Strategy Prioritization and Development; and Plan Roll Out.
“While many of our peer cities have bounced back from the Great Recession, the KC region is not keeping up – and the gap is growing,” said KC Rising Co-Chair Scott Smith, former CEO of HNTB Infrastructure. “Now is the time for a sustainable, strategic vision for the economic future of our entire KC region … we are all in this together.”
KC Rising is a strategic, business-led, long-term vision that is global in perspective and regional in focus. This community initiative is focused on three measurable outcomes:
- High growth in the Kansas City region’s Gross Metropolitan Product
- High-paying and sustainable, quality jobs
- A thriving innovation and business-creation environment
“A recent Brookings Report made it clear the KC region must be better positioned for success in the areas of job growth, global market share and commercialization,” said KC Rising Co-Chair Doug Girod, executive vice chancellor at the University of Kansas Medical Center. “We are kicking things off today and realize the tremendous task ahead of us. I am confident that the promise of KC Rising will become a reality.”
Groups comprised of business and civic leadership from across the two-state region will support, implement and sustain this collaborative initiative. KC Rising is led by a steering committee with input on the development of strategies led by work groups focused on the initial three economic drivers.
KC Rising is supported by active engagement of the leadership and staff of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC), Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), and the support of many regional chambers of commerce including the KC Chamber, our great educational institutions, and elected officials across the region, among others.
About KC Rising
KC Rising is a regional, collaborative, business community-led effort to develop a path for the KC region to reach its full economic potential. KC Rising will develop strategies for accelerating the region’s economic growth and ensure its continued competitiveness in the global economy. www.kcrising.com.