Kauffman Foundation taps PIPELINE as recipient of $800,000 grant

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation on Thursday announced a matching “challenge” grant of up to $800,000 to initiate a regional expansion of PIPELINE …

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation on Thursday announced a matching “challenge” grant of up to $800,000 to initiate a regional expansion of PIPELINE, a Kansas-based entrepreneurial immersion program for innovative, high-growth entrepreneurs. Both organizations have their headquarters in the Kansas City area, and the grant will foster increased collaboration between the Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation initiative and PIPELINE.

As part of the grant, PIPELINE must raise at least $800,000 in matching funds from other sources.

“We have long admired PIPELINE and are impressed by its track record, growth and the national network it has developed right here in Kansas City,” Carl Schramm, Kauffman president and CEO, said in a release. “PIPELINE is among the best programs in the country that is laser-focused on providing the mentorship and resources entrepreneurs need to build scalable companies. We invite others who share in the belief that we need more successful high-growth firms to join us as we ensure PIPELINE’s regional expansion at a critical time in our economy.”

Previously, PIPELINE has worked exclusively with Kansas entrepreneurs. But over the next few months, leaders at PIPELINE will work with a wide network of advisors to determine the geographic boundaries of the initial regional expansion

“It will continue to serve Kansas, but it will obviously serve a broader geography than that,” Joni Cobb, PIPELINE president and CEO, said Friday. “So the entrepreneurs can get involved in this program over the course of the next year or the years after. As we continue to expand this program, they will have access to it and can be part of the PIPELINE family.”

Cobb (left, photo from kansaspipeline.org) said the grant means busy days are ahead for the team at PIPELINE but it’s a good busy, serving as validation of the work PIPELINE has done since its inception in 2007. 

“Having (the Kauffman Foundation) come out and both give a three-year challenge grant — a significant challenge grant — and additionally say such strong things that they’ve said about the program and their desire to work closely with it is really the ultimate validation for both the model as well as the execution of the entrepreneurs within the program,” Cobb said.

To learn more about Kauffman visit kauffman.org, and to learn more about PIPELINE visit kansaspipeline.org.

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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