Poverty is not an intractable problem; it can be eradicated here in Kansas City. It will take time, effort, monetary investment, creativity, patience and the good-heartedness to work with people who may not seem like natural allies. But fortunately, all those things exist in Kansas City, and it is in the interest of every single person in the region to try. I believe the tools to do this are here right now. We just need collaboration and the will to do the work. The parameters of the challenge…

Imagine what would happen in a city if an avalanche of qualified and motivated workers showed up suddenly. Many businesses might like to have an oversupply of qualified candidates, to have the luxury of picking from several impressive candidates instead of having to conduct an intensive search for the right person. Unfortunately, life is more complicated than that. Gifts like this usually come with a catch, and we are finding that out now as our region and others across the country try to cope with…

A workforce ecosystem that serves businesses and talent is like a well-designed highway network. Businesses need to access potential employees. Those workers need education and training that leads to better paying jobs. Educational institutions and training centers need support from donors and coordination from organizations that tie everyone together. This ecosystem connects everyone, and it’s built on a foundation of collaboration. Creating a thriving economy built on a healthy workforce ecosystem…

Anyone who has lived through the long lows and the recent highs of the Kansas City Chiefs knows that high-performing teams don’t come together by happenstance. Building a winning team includes some obvious elements — highly competent and committed team members, intelligent and flexible leadership, superior work ethic and resources to enable the job to be done. I would argue there is another key element to such teams, whether they play on a field or in the marketplace, and that’s adaptability. Circumstances…