The Foundation’s Research, Learning, and Evaluation (RLE) is part of the larger landscape of economic mobility research activity. By building connections, shared learning, and support amongst researchers and their organizations, together, we can create a collaborative and robust research and data ecosystem in Kansas City that will deepen our collective impact.

In November 2024, the Foundation hosted the inaugural Economic Mobility Research and Data Forum. We welcomed members of 26 organizations to consider the current data landscape in Kansas City and discuss how we can learn from and with each other to address the gaps.

A data walk provided a starting place for discussion, warming up participants for facilitated break-out sessions to dig deeper into conversations around:

• What would it take to cultivate a collaborative and robust research and data ecosystem in Kansas City, driving toward equitable economic mobility?
• What’s our collective role as RLE leadership in Kansas City to drive that?
• What can we do now? What’s possible?
• How can we work together?
• What role should the Foundation play in this work?
• What are the next steps?
  
  

It was exciting to see our research and data-minded colleagues come together to discuss, network, and learn from each other.

— Dr. Yvonne Owens Ferguson

Chief Research, Learning, and Evaluation Officer

“It was exciting to see our research and data-minded colleagues come together to discuss, network, and learn from each other,” said Dr. Yvonne Owens Ferguson, chief research, learning, and evaluation officer. “The intense collaboration of the day helped to build the collaborative muscle needed to move our collective work forward.”

Kauffman’s RLE team is driven to inform and deeply engage with community, measure the impact of funded initiatives, and support learning to better serve Kansas City and beyond. The Foundation is focused on research that develops a greater understanding of how to close economic mobility gaps based on our three strategic priorities – college access and completion, workforce and career development, and entrepreneurship.

The convening allowed participants to process, detail, and unpack efforts across the regional ecosystem. What slips through the cracks? What could connect? What are the challenges? How do we build capacity, process, and share learnings? Yet, amongst the questions was one certainty – the desire to keep this conversation going with intentionality.

“I think it’s important, and to make it routine, where we learn about what’s collected, and who’s doing what,” said Dr. Michael Podgursky, Chancellor’s Professor of Economics, University of Missouri-Columbia. “It’s extremely powerful. The networking I did during the data walk alone was worth my two-hour drive from Columbia.”

Many participants also noted that intentionality to effectively inform policymakers and to collaborate and clearly communicate with communities is critical to move data to action.

“The only way to move the needle is to understand the data and how to communicate it,” said Dr. Donna K. Ginther, Roy A. Roberts & Regents Distinguished Professor of Economics, and director, Institute for Policy & Social Research, University of Kansas. “Researchers and evaluators talk to one another but not always to the public and constituencies.”

For the Foundation, at the heart of our RLE work is the desire to make a lasting difference in the communities we serve.To that end, discussions produced several high-level themes to move the conversation – and the work – forward.

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The inaugural Economic Mobility Research and Data Forum was a step toward a regional research and data ecosystem that can make a significant collective impact.

We really want to see what’s possible when we all work together, Dr. Ferguson said. “How can Kauffman support the research and data work organizations are doing? Elevate and expand the work they’re doing? We want to create space for the work that supports and advances our 2035 vision of greater Kansas City being a national model for equitable economic mobility.”