KC Rising has announced leadership and work teams established to address three critical areas of regional economic opportunity: Trade, Ideas and People. Since November, more than 100 business and civic leaders have joined the effort to establish formal goals and develop recommendations for the region’s long-term business plan.
“From day one, our vision was to create the most inclusive, transparent and focused business-led process the Kansas City region has ever had,” said Scott Smith, KC Rising co-chair and former president and CEO, HNTB Infrastructure. “We are confident we’ve accomplished the first phase of that vision by putting in place some of the best and brightest leadership from across our metropolitan area to lead the development of the KC Rising plan.”
Addressing TRADE, the Globally Competitive Sectors Work Group chairs are Neeli Bendapudi, Ph.D., dean of the University of Kansas School of Business; Dan Krouse, vice president of logistics and indirect procurement at Hallmark Cards; and Timothy W. Triplett, president of legal, risk management and government affairs for Black & Veatch. Review the full list of work group members at kcrising.com.
Initial market research is underway to determine the best opportunities for the KC region’s future economic growth in five key economic clusters: advanced manufacturing, engineering/architecture/construction, finance/insurance, IT, and telecommunications/mobile technology. The work group will also coordinate and integrate with comprehensive civic strategies already underway in logistics, life sciences and animal health.
According to Triplett, who also leads Black & Veatch’s operations in the Gulf Cooperation Council region, the focus is on determining and finding solutions to barriers that might exist to domestic and global growth for companies of all sizes, thus encouraging global growth for the entire area. “With the assistance of the co-chairs and members of our Work Group, we hope to contribute in a meaningful way to the overall goals of KC Rising. As we interact with local companies, and even other communities who face these same challenges, we’ll be able to find successful paths forward.”
Addressing IDEAS, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Work Group chairs are Regan Carrizales, co-founder and CEO of Collective; Ron LeMay, managing director and co-founder of Open Air Equity Partners and former president and COO of Sprint; and Davyeon Ross, co-founder and COO of ShotTracker. Review the full list of work group members at kcrising.com.
This group will be interviewing investors, entrepreneurs, and executives in mature companies to assess the reasons for Kansas City’s underperformance in various measures related to entrepreneurship and innovation. They will then develop strategies and key metrics to ensure the region’s future competitive performance in industries that can fully leverage Kansas City’s local talent and brand equity.
“We believe that Kansas City can benefit from a cultural change that fosters a solid foundation of entrepreneurs and early stage investors, while unleashing the innovation energy of more mature companies,” said LeMay. “Ultimately, this culture shift will better enable Kansas City to embrace greater risk taking by investors and entrepreneurs – including the inevitability of failures – providing that risk taking is accompanied by the realistic potential for higher returns.”
Addressing PEOPLE, the Human Capital Work Group chairs are Mi-Ai Parrish, president and publisher at the Kansas City Star Media Company; Sandra Price, senior vice president of human resources for Sprint; and Michael Roane, senior vice president and chief human resources officer for J.E. Dunn. Review a full list of work group members at kcrising.com.
Working closely with the other two work groups to align priorities, this group is focused on key competencies and pathways to support future economic growth in the KC region. “There is tremendous talent in the existing workforce as well as amazing capability in the next generation. The KC region is a remarkable place to work and learn. Our team will solicit the feedback of many employers and educators, as well as that of business owners and entrepreneurs, to make sure that we fully understand – and plan for – the region’s future human capital needs,” said Price.
Each Work Group meets on a regular basis to work toward a formal proposal to the regional business, civic and academic communities. The KC Rising Steering Committee meets on a monthly basis to review and guide the work group process.
“We are excited and encouraged by the conversations already taking place around each of the Work Group tables,” said Doug Girod, KC Rising co-chair, and executive vice chancellor, University of Kansas Medical Center. “All three groups are committed and focused on the most effective and sustainable growth strategy for our KC region. We can’t wait to see what they propose to set our region on a fast track to prosperity.”
The KC Rising process is also supported by the Metropolitan Analytics Team, led by Jerry Lonergan (Civic Council of Greater Kansas City) and Frank Lenk (Mid-America Regional Council), providing data analytics and research expertise, and the Regional Communications Team, led by Steve Doyal (Hallmark) and Eric Morgenstern (Morningstar Communications), handling marketing, communications and community outreach.
“The analytics and communications teams are critical to the success of KC Rising and to ensure we are practicing what we promised at our launch in November – that the KC Rising process is both data driven and transparent,” said Girod.
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. KC Rising is supported by the leadership and staff of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, Mid-America Regional Council , the Kansas City Area Development Council and regional chambers of commerce. www.kcrising.com.