Our Impact

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico City population: 565,000 Number of municipal employees: 5,800 Participants in the Entrepreneurial Mindset Program: 1095   OVERVIEW: Albuquerque and its sister community, Rio Rancho, anchor one of the fastest-growing regions in the Southwest. The metro area’s population (916,528 residents in 2020) is diverse, with many Spanish speakers, English speakers, and Native American communities. The region’s largest employers include the U.S. Air Force, Sandia National Laboratories, Intel, medical facilities, and colleges. Real…

  Location: Independence, Kansas Fab Lab ICC launch: March 2014  Total visitors: 35,000  Size: 15,000 square feet    Entrepreneurial Mindset course: Offered once per year   OVERVIEW: In rural southeastern Kansas, agriculture and manufacturing dominate the local economy. However, there are still vestiges of the hard adjustments that residents had to make as coal mining and oil industry jobs disappeared several decades ago. The poverty rate among Montgomery County’s 31,000 residents is 17%, which is about…

Entrepreneurial Mindset Projects Branch Out from This Colorado District’s STEM Program   Location: Longmont, Colorado Number of schools and programs: 60  Total students: 33,000  High school students in entrepreneurship courses since 2019: 500 High schools served by Innovation Center program: 7   OVERVIEW: St. Vrain Valley School District extends across 411 square miles, from the Continental Divide to the Colorado plains, with a population that’s just as diverse as the landscape. As such, the district’s…

Location: Kansas City, Missouri Number of new businesses in 2022: 46  Amount of increased sales in 2022: $55.1 million  Number of participants in most recent Entrepreneurial Mindset Training: 18    OVERVIEW: People reach out for a wide range of services from the Missouri Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Some have an idea for a startup but aren’t sure about the next steps. Others already have a business but need…

The Evolution of a Pioneering Entrepreneurial Mindset Program   Location: Overland Park, Kansas Number of degree-seeking students: 16,000  Number of continuing education students: 12,000    Years offering entrepreneurial mindset courses: 15   OVERVIEW: The metro Kansas City area straddles two states, Missouri and Kansas. It is home to a wide range of industries, neighborhoods, and populations. Johnson County Community College, located on the Kansas side in the state’s wealthiest county, attracts a diverse cross-section of students…