The best ways to leverage capitalism to accelerate and build wealth for all people August 15, 2022 Living Cities’ Demetric Duckett discusses the Catalyst Fund III and how he believes the system of capital decision making must change how capital flows in our economy.
‘We understand the strength of our community.’ August 9, 2022 John Williams of the Native American Community Development Institute, a Kauffman grantee, discusses how they are strengthening the economic development ecosystem in the Twin Cities with and for the urban Indian community living there.
Olatunji Ajani Olatunji Ajani is executive director for 1 Million Cups and Kauffman FastTrac®. Ajani brings a wealth of experience in inclusive entrepreneurship and venture development to his role. As executive director, Ajani provides strategic leadership needed to increase access to entrepreneurial education, tools, and resources for entrepreneurs across the nation. Prior to joining the Kauffman Foundation, Ajani served as […]
‘Kauffman Scholars is always going to be a part of me.’ July 18, 2022 These Uncommon Conversations explore the personal experiences of recent Kauffman Scholars program graduates as they reflect on the continued impact and legacy of the program.
Inclusive and equitable economies are created when cities prioritize them July 13, 2022 In this Q&A, Karen Freeman-Wilson discusses the importance of local government and economic development that intentionally supports entrepreneurs, especially those who are underserved.
Dawn Kernen Dawn Kernen is a data knowledge and operations specialist in Technology for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. She is responsible for working with program areas and external vendors to define and manage business data, data systems and relationships, while providing operational support to make Kauffman a data-enabled organization. Prior to joining the Kauffman Foundation, Kernen […]
Meredith Walrafen Meredith Walrafen is an impact officer for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. She manages a broad grant portfolio to foster inclusive prosperity through entrepreneurship in the heartland, building and maintaining community outreach efforts and relationships relevant to our work. Prior to joining the Kauffman Foundation, Walrafen was the program manager with New Roots for Refugees, […]
Dan Earnest Dan Earnest is a senior program assistant in the Office of the President for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he assists with a variety of responsibilities related to cross-team and cross-Foundation coordination and project management in support of the chief of staff and the CEO. He also provides general administrative support. Prior to joining […]
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation CEO Wendy Guillies announces retirement after 22 years of leadership and impact July 7, 2022 Guillies’ leadership set a path aimed at generational impact on entrepreneurs, educators, and students.
Previous Emerging Collaborations Grantees The Central Standards RFP provides matching funds to encourage and accelerate collaborations between two or more entrepreneurship support organizations working together to support Heartland entrepreneurs in the states of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.