Power
What’s Next.
Partnership with Keystone means measurable impact: stronger startups, smarter collaborations, and shared community growth.
We work with corporations, universities, civic leaders, and philanthropies to increase innovation, drive economic mobility, and impact efforts across the region
Why Partner With Keystone
Keystone Is the Connector That Makes Innovation Real
Our programs, platforms, and physical spaces are designed to make collaboration easier, community stronger, and outcomes more impactful.
Programmatic Reach
A year-round cadence of cross-sector programming that convenes innovation stakeholders, giving partners reliable access to founders, operators, investors, and institutions in one place.
Place-Based Impact
A dual-hub presence across Kansas and Missouri, designed to maximize regional impact by enabling partners to engage talent, institutions, and innovation activity on both sides of the state line.
Shared Vision
Partnerships are designed to increase regional economic growth—supporting company formation, talent retention, capital circulation, and long-term prosperity across the Kansas City region.
Start Where You Are.
Engage How You Can.
Some of our most impactful collaborations began with just one hour or one event.
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Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorships offer a streamlined way to positioning your brand as an innovation leader helping you support emerging talent, develop founders, and and gain meaningful brand visibility
THE DISRUPTION LAB PODCAST
Align your brand with the conversations shaping what’s next. You will gaining visibility with founders, operators, and industry leaders exploring new markets, technologies, and business models. Our Audience looks at innovation through the lens of social impact also positioning your brand as a community leader.
Activate Innovation
or Co-Design Programming
intentional design → implementation → outcomes
Keystone provides established programs and infrastructure that organizations can plug into immediately—or use as a foundation to co-design new initiatives—creating clear pathways from engagement to implementation across the innovation ecosystem.
Strategic Programming Partnerships
For organizations, strategic programming partnerships reduce the friction of innovation by providing ready-built platforms to engage startups, talent, and peers—while allowing partners to shape programs around specific business, workforce, or community challenges.
Partners can activate existing Keystone programs such as Keystone Sessions, Corporate Connections Studio & Accelerator, The CoFoundry, and Keynect, or work with Keystone to design custom cohorts, challenges, and initiatives aligned to their goals.
Programming Partner Examples:
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Corporate innovation cohorts
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Workforce development fellowships
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Community talent activation series
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DEI-focused startup labs or leadership tracks
Research Commercialization & Knowledge Partnerships
For universities and research institutions, Keystone creates applied pathways that connect research, talent, and discovery to founders, corporates, and capital—supporting commercialization, collaboration, and regional economic impact without requiring institutions to build parallel infrastructure.
Universities can engage through programs such as Global Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Keystone Sessions, Corporate Connections, and Keynect, or collaborate with Keystone to design new research-to-market initiatives that align with institutional priorities.
How We Support Research Commercialization:
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Curated introductions to aligned startups & founders
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Keynect digital matching & AI-powered partnership tools
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University-backed demo days or innovation showcases
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Cross-institutional collaboration planning
Subscribe for pArtnership updates
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Partners enter the ecosystem at different points based on their role and readiness, then engage across programs that deepen collaboration, support execution, and enable innovation to scale.
Designed for intersection. Built for execution. Measured by outcomes.
How the Keystone Programming Ecosystem Works to Engage Partners
Keystone’s programs are designed as an integrated system that brings together partners, institutions, and diverse perspectives at key points of intersection—allowing innovation to move from concept to implementation.
Rather than operating as standalone initiatives, each program is intentionally structured to engage specific stakeholder groups, align incentives across sectors, and create pathways from early participation to applied outcomes.
Power
What’s Next, Together.
Your impact start with a conversation.
Tell us about your goals — we’ll help you find the right place to plug in, in order to achieve the best out comes, and highest impact.