“For years, we have been talking about the role corporations can and should play in ecosystem building – providing access and resources. We are excited to see this project’s impact on the community we come from and serve.”
-Dan Smith, Co-Founder of The Porter House KC
Improving access to our corporate innovators and industry resources through the Labs program will create stronger connections to grow the regional innovation economy. Better access to support our entrepreneurs, better access to improve our communities, better access to support our educational institutions, advance research and prepare our citizens for future opportunities.
This access will be easier, with less friction between stakeholders, with a programmatic approach that enables collaboration and creates greater scale through their collective efforts. The benefits from a collective programmatic approach will not only improve connections to other stakeholders, but to each other as well.
For decades, corporations have searched for innovative solutions and market opportunities. Typically, these efforts were driven internally, in confidential “skunk-works” projects or innovation teams. But recently, as industries have begun to recognize the complexity of business and social challenges, companies are looking outside their own walls for fresh thinking and new ideas.
When a member brings a challenge to Keystone Labs, they will now have access to more than ten regional universities, colleges and educational institutions, as well as KC’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. Keystone Labs will be the single access point to an entire ecosystem of collaborators and intellectual capital.
Our focus on infrastructure
Today, the U.S. has a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity to innovate the nation's infrastructure with the historic passing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. To achieve the bold goals of this bipartisan deal, the U.S. must grow and train a new type of workforce, one that can both innovate and operate an infrastructure that is both cyber and physical.
We recognize that the KC region has exceptional infrastructure industry strengths, and the Keystone Community Corporation can quickly deliver the workforce needed to bridge the gap. Keystone has the convening power to coordinate engagement, creating collaboration across the necessary stakeholders in KC region.
Join Us. Together, we have an opportunity to address our biggest innovation challenges. If you or your organization is interested in learning more, feel free to reach out.
