On February 29, 2016, KC Rising provided its first public update on the progress of the planning, research, analysis and initial strategies supporting a regional business plan for the KC region. Several important news items were shared, including new programs unveiled at the event. The local and national media showed great interest in the progress of the KC Rising effort, particularly in the announcement of the KCRise Fund to encourage investment in early-stage companies in the KC area. A round up of news coverage is included below with links to articles (some stories are subscriber content and will require a login to read the full article).
Event coverage:
KC Rising goes from talking to doing, Kansas City Business Journal, February 29
Kansas City wants to be on more Top Ten lists, Kansas City Star, February 29
Finally, civic leaders get serious about KC’s economy, Kansas City Star Editorial Board, February 29
KC Rising shifts from R&D to implementation and evaluation, Kansas City Business Journal, February 29
$10 Million KCRise Fund Will Invest in Early Stage Companies, ThinkingBigger Business Media, February 29
New $20M fund supercharges VC dollars in Kansas City, Startland News, February 29
Jeff Fox: Where will metro area jobs come from?, The Examiner, March 2
Will the Kansas City Region Still be Competitive 20 Years from Now?, ThinkingBigger Business Media, April print edition
Follow-on and Related coverage:
Life Sciences report reveals ‘sustained growth’ in KC, KC Business Journal, March 22
VC in KC: Getting KC to invest in itself, KC Business Journal cover story, April 15
National coverage:
Kansas City just launched a $10M co-investment fund for its start up community, Technical.ly guest blog, April 13