This research study conducted by Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and Mid America Regional Council (MARC) was the source material for the creation of KC Rising in 2015. The report’s conclusions were galvanizing: the Kansas City region was lagging behind its economic peers coming out of the Great Recession and successful communities were articulating plans to advance the economic drivers of traded sectors, innovation and human capital.

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Metro Kansas City’s Traded Cluster Assets

Metro Kansas City’s Traded Cluster Assets

Kansas City's innovation landscape is a magnet for life sciences R&D, offering a unique convergence of expertise with potential beyond health applications. The region eyes a pioneering role in the global biologics market, backed by first-mover advantage...

Connectivity and Digital Equity Report

Connectivity and Digital Equity Report

Access to the internet has become a fundamental asset that all Kansas City area households require to achieve economic prosperity. A recent study by KC Rising highlighted the increased importance for all households to have a reliable, affordable connection and computer devices for access to education, employment and health. The COVID-19 pandemic made this need more urgent, with over 100,000 area households currently without broadband subscriptions and computer devices to enable these meaningful uses. While many neighborhoods and communities show high numbers of households with internet subscriptions and devices, many urban core neighborhoods, small outlying communities, and rural areas lack such access.

2022-2023 Shared Vision Strategic Priorities

Every year the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation conducts a survey to evaluate the quality of life for residents in the Kansas City region. After survey responses are collected, an analysis is conducted and shared with the community at large. The Mid – America Regional Council collaborated on the analysis in 2017 and created a dashboard for 2019 – 2020. For the 2021 survey, Kauffman partnered with Global Strategy Group and created the following dashboard. In addition, KC Rising worked collaboratively with Kauffman on producing an analysis comparing 2020 (pre-pandemic) to May 2021.

Kauffman Quality of Life Survey

Every year the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation conducts a survey to evaluate the quality of life for residents in the Kansas City region. After survey responses are collected, an analysis is conducted and shared with the community at large. The Mid – America Regional Council collaborated on the analysis in 2017 and created a dashboard for 2019 – 2020. For the 2021 survey, Kauffman partnered with Global Strategy Group and created the following dashboard. In addition, KC Rising worked collaboratively with Kauffman on producing an analysis comparing 2020 (pre-pandemic) to May 2021.

Harvard Implicit Bias Association Test

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2019 Inclusiveness Index | Othering & Belonging Institute

The Othering & Belonging Institute’s Inclusiveness Index is one of the first indices that measures equity without regard for national wealth or economic conditions. One of the challenges in measuring inclusivity is that it is difficult to disentangle policies...

Racism in Kansas City: A Short History

Kansas Citians, like so many others across the nation, wonder, “Could it happen here?” The answer lies in this study of Kansas City’s darkest moments—slavery, the border war, the Civil War, bombings of black homes, lynching, the segregation of neighborhoods and...

Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People

In Blindspot, Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald explore hidden biases that we all carry from a lifetime of experiences with Blindspot approved social groups – age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, social class, sexuality, disability status, or nationality....