KC Collective, an entrepreneurial support organization aimed at enriching and empowering Kansas City’s early-stage startup ecosystem, announced today that Jessica Powell will join the team as Executive Director. In this newly created role, Powell will be responsible for advancing KC Collective’s mission to foster stronger startups in the region by leveraging member’s networks, existing resources and organizing regular educational events.
“We’ve all seen the stats on how KC ranks nationally in startup ecosystems, and we see an opportunity for local founders to have a major impact on Kansas City’s future. We’re thrilled to have Jessica lead us in this exciting stage of growth,” said Donald Hawkins, co-organizer of KC Collective.
Powell brings nearly a decade of directorial and B2B networking expertise in economic empowerment, as well as extensive experience with large-scale event management and production within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Her previous roles include Chief Operating Officer of Chicago-based Venture Connects and FUND Conference, Director of #Back2KC, and most recently, Director of Experiences at Kansas City Startup Foundation.
“I am elated about the opportunity to work with a true founder-focused organization like KC Collective,” said Powell. “Kansas City’s startup community is undoubtedly growing and KC Collective is revolutionizing the manner in which local early-stage founders receive the support they need to stay here and thrive here.”
With nearly 300 members in less than one year, KC Collective continues to make an impact on Kansas City founders. Each member is provided access to over $1M in startup perks and discounts (i.e. up to $100,000 off Amazon Web Services, 90% off Hubspot services, $20,000 credit from Stripe, etc.) as well as access to group medical/dental/vision/life insurance. Several founders have secured both grants and downstream funding due to connections made through KC Collective.
“KC Collective is the whole package as a startup collective. Their local network of "give-first" entrepreneurs provide help with their advice, time and network, and made it easier for me to get plugged into a much-needed startup ecosystem here in the Midwest. To top it off, their amazing perks helped me improve team productivity, communication, and support—which I would have not had otherwise due to cost.” said Clarence Tan, CEO & Co-Founder of Boddle Learning.
About KC Collective
Founded in January 2019 by local entrepreneurs, KC Collective is a 501(c)(3) organization that works collectively to focus on ideas, education, funding, and talent to aid member-founders. Through intent collaboration and network leveraging, the organization provides connections to valuable resources for entrepreneurs in and out of the region.
