Heartland Strategy

The Heartland Strategy portfolio focuses on growing and strengthening the entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) in the Heartland region (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas), working with them to address systemic challenges that affect entrepreneurs’ ability to start and grow businesses.

Through the Heartland Strategy, we make grants and convene stakeholders in the Heartland region (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas). This portfolio focuses on growing and strengthening the entrepreneur support organizations in the region and working with them to address systemic challenges that affect entrepreneurs’ ability to start and grow businesses.

Not only do these four states share similar economies and opportunities for entrepreneurial ecosystem growth, they also share the same challenges, especially when it comes to diversifying their economies and competing with larger, more active ecosystems.

The only way we can regain momentum in the cities and rural areas of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas, is to work together to meet the challenges ahead of us. As we move to more regionally focused work, we have an opportunity to more deeply understand how entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) can help entrepreneurs in the region.

Entrepreneurs, ESOs, investors, and stakeholders already connect the Heartland. Our opportunity is to mobilize these groups to solve systemic problems and facilitate regional growth.

By building on established relationships and cultivating new ones, we can leverage funding for greater impact in the region, ultimately serving more entrepreneurs with high-quality support.