Executive Summary: The Evolution of Entrepreneurship in Kansas City: A Visual Approach to Analyzing Entrepreneurial Development

Abstract

Kansas City followed a markedly different path of economic development than more prominent entrepreneurial regions such as Silicon Valley or Boston’s Route 128. Kansas City’s life sciences and technology industries evolved primarily through entrepreneurial spin-off processes, and a few large firms and institutions played key roles in these processes. We have conducted an analysis of and visualized the entrepreneurial dynamics in the Kansas City region in a unique way. Key results are highlighted in this executive summary.