Keystone Innovation District

DRIVEN TO CONNECT

The Keystone Community Corporation (KCC) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit created in 2018 to bring together educators, corporations, entrepreneurs and the community, with the goal of planning, developing and operating a diverse and thriving innovation community in downtown Kansas City.

Our core, fundamental belief is that innovation is no longer siloed in industry verticals.

KEYSTONE's strategic imperatives

Programming and placemaking drive successful outcomes, not real estate. The best practices associated with these operational strategies should serve as guidelines to both optimize and improve the odds of success across all stakeholders.

1)

Many of the economic, political, and social challenges identified across the Kansas City region can be addressed through the collaborative scale of regional stakeholders cooperation and engagement.

2)

The planing, development, and operations of the Keystone Innovation District must include a strategic focus on achieving a positive, equitable and inclusive impact. This is a long-term regional economic development program focused on bringing the future of education, entrepreneurship, and employment to the community.

3)

KEYSTONE COMMUNITY CORPORATION PRESIDENT & CEO

With innovation and leadership at his core, Kevin McGinnis has been a successful executive leader at one of the nation's leading technology companies, and has deep entrepreneurial experience starting a corporate accelerator and leading a growth-stage tech firm.

When McGinnis noticed the region lacked a destination which enabled people to collaborate at scale, causing the region to lose pace economically, his strong belief in KC drove him to act. Leveraging his career experiences focused on innovation, McGinnis is now collaborating with civic, corporate and community stakeholders to drive the Keystone vision to life.

Kevin McGinnis

KCC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Doug Girod

Chancellor, University of Kansas

Kimberly Beatty

Chancellor, Metropolitan Community College

Steve Edwards

Chairman and CEO, Black & Veatch

Andrea Ellis

Director, Strategic Learning, Kansas City Public Library

Davyeon Ross

Co-founder & President, Shottracker

Rob Steele

MD, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Children's Mercy

Elizabeth MacLeod Walls

President, William Jewell College

Jeff Geheb

Chief Experience Officer, VMLY&R

Anita Davis

Chief Mission Officer, Goodwill Industries

COMMUNITY team

Jacqueline Erickson Russell

Social Impact Advising Group

India Wells-Carter

Fresh Factory & Social Impact Advising Group

Craig Moore

VFA KC Director & Black Excellence KC

Zik Nwanganga

FiredUp KC

Kathryn Jones

Highline Partners

Brett Posten

Highline Partners

We're just getting started.

Internationally recognized advisory firm, HR&A was brought in to create an innovation district feasibility study for Keystone. The team conduct over 100 stakeholder interviews with neighbors, community members, corporate and government leaders, educators and other stakeholders, to determine the best governance structure for Keystone. This Board of Directors will advance Keystone's core tenants of regionalism, equity and inclusion, and will help to appoint additional leadership subcommittees. Stay tuned for more.