LaunchKC revealed Tuesday evening the seven purpose-driven ventures for its inaugural Social Venture Studio accelerator, which range from building food equity to giving youngsters a taste of entrepreneurship.
A goal is to make social ventures part of Kansas City’s DNA and to foster the next generation of job creators and economic drivers, said Jim Erickson, director of strategic initiatives for the Economic Development Corp. of Kansas City.
“These are leaders that are going to transform not only their organizations through this program, but they’re going to transform our community,” said Justin Mathews, steering committee co-chair for Social Venture Studio. “They are people who crave the adventure of creating sustainable social good at the intersection of return on investment and social return on investment. Where social need meets market demand is what social entrepreneurship and social venturing is all about.”
The six-month program gives entrepreneurs grants ranging from $35,000 to $50,000, temporary office space at Keystone CoLAB, professional support, mentorship and network connections. It culminates in a fall event with entrepreneurs pitching to potential funders and supporters.
“I’m forever grateful,” One Pair founder Jarren Thornhill said of being picked for the program. “I’m super excited to be with likeminded people. To be a social venture, it takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of dedication. It takes a lot of empathy. … They deal with the same things and we’ll be able to learn from each other.”
Thornhill also expects the accelerator to help his business scale and move to the next level.
One Pair is a shoe and apparel store on Troost Avenue that includes a youth entrepreneurship maker space and gives youngsters an opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship by running different facets of the store, such as social media, marketing and product photography.
Roy Scott, founder of education technology startup Healthy Hip Hop, also is hoping to scale and make key connections to investors and others.
“The human capital is more important than the (grant) money,” he said.
Social Venture already is connecting him to a national social impact group that can measure the effectiveness of Healthy Hip Hop’s school pilots in fostering classroom engagement and improving behavior.
“This is really going to take it to another level,” Scott said.
Here’s a look at the inaugural cohort:
- Dr. Shelley Cooper, Diversity Telehealth: replaces no-show and late cancellation medical appointments with on-demand telehealth visits
- Shanita McAfee-Bryant, The Prospect KC: a nonprofit that addresses local food insecurity through innovative solutions that provide access to nutritious whole foods, education, skill-building and wrap-around support services
- Roy Scott, Healthy Hip Hop: an online platform that provides educational hip-hop music and videos so schools and parents can teach their children through dance and lyrics and promote mental and physical wellness, academic success and social emotional learning
- Natasha Kirsch and Jarrod Sanderson, EPEC Inc.: aims to break the poverty cycle through the high-wage, high-demand trade of pet grooming and wrap-around services
- Max Kaniger, Kanbe’s Markets: builds a more equitable and efficient food system by using excess food from wholesalers or farmers and delivering it to convenience stores in Kansas City’s food deserts
- Jarren Thornhill, One Pair: a shoe and apparel store that exposes youngsters to entrepreneurship
- Kristan Chamberlain, KC Can Compost: focuses on improving the environmental and social landscapes of Kansas City through systemic organic waste diversion and green job training for those facing barriers to employment
