Kingman Economic Development

07/22/2026

🌱 Ready to strengthen your nonprofit and increase your impact?

Whether you're thinking about starting a nonprofit, looking for new funding opportunities, or want practical advice from experts in the field, this one-day training is for you!

Join us for the Nonprofit Success Series: Strategies for Growth & Sustainability on Thursday, August 20 at The Hangar in Kingman.

During this full-day event, you'll learn:
✅ Steps to Starting a Nonprofit
✅ Open Q&A with nonprofit experts
✅ Strategies for Diversifying Your Funding and Building Long-Term Sustainability

This training is presented in partnership with the Kansas Alliance for Nonprofits and features Cindy Miles, CEO of the Kansas Alliance for Nonprofits.

Whether you're an established nonprofit, a new organization, or simply exploring the idea of starting one, you'll leave with practical tools, expert guidance, and valuable connections.

📅 Thursday, August 20, 2026
📍 The Hangar
🕤 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

🎟 Space is limited, so register today!

Register here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/taj2mza

07/18/2026

07/06/2026

07/06/2026

Postponed!!! Watch for a new date soon!!!

🚀 Calling All Young Entrepreneurs! 🚀

Registration is open for the Launch Pad Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase on Thursday, July 17, from 8:00 a.m. to noon at Planes on the Plains in Kingman!

Whether you make crafts, bake goodies, create artwork, grow plants, offer a service like lawn mowing or pet sitting, or have another business idea, this is your chance to showcase your talents, gain hands-on business experience, and connect with the community.

There is no cost to participate!

If you’d like to register or if you have any questions—please don’t hesitate to contact me directly. I’d be happy to help you get signed up!

Leslie Schrag
Economic Development Director
City of Kingman
📧 [email protected]
📱 (620) 553-4029

Let’s help the next generation of entrepreneurs launch their ideas!

07/01/2026

What if your agricultural innovation could help strengthen rural communities for generations?

From helping producers increase profitability to introducing new technologies that support long-term sustainability, entrepreneurs right in our backyards are shaping the future of agriculture and the environment in our rural communities every day.

If you're building a solution that can help rural communities thrive, the Patterson Fellows Program could be your final push to make innovations a reality.

Ready to turn your vision into impact? Apply to become a Patterson Fellow today on our website!
https://pattersonfamilyfoundation.org/patterson-fellows/

06/30/2026

📅 Upcoming FREE Learning & Community Events in Kingman!

Looking to learn something new, grow your organization, support local youth, or earn continuing education hours? All of these upcoming events are FREE to attend!

🤖 July 7 – AI Starter Lab
Discover practical ways to use artificial intelligence in your business or organization. Lunch provided.
👉 Register: https://waitwhile.com/locations/specialevents/details

👩‍🏫 July 11 – Child Care Provider Super Saturday
Earn 6 KDHE-approved continuing education hours, enjoy lunch, and (for providers in Comanche, Harper, Kingman, Kiowa, and Morton Counties) receive a $250 participation stipend plus travel reimbursement after attendance is verified.
👉 Register: https://kccto.org/super-saturday-kingman-ks/

🚀 July 17 – Launch Pad Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase
Kingman County youth ages 11–18 are invited to showcase their products, services, or business ideas. Participation is free!
👉 Register: https://app.seemylegacy.com/preview?itemId=72460

🌱 August 20 – Nonprofit Success Series
Whether you're starting a nonprofit or looking to strengthen an existing organization, this free day of training presented by the Kansas Alliance for Nonprofits is a great opportunity to gain practical tools and connect with others. Lunch provided.
👉 Register: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/taj2mza

Please share this post with anyone who may be interested. We look forward to seeing you at these upcoming events in Kingman!

Kingman Economic Development works to improve the economic health of the City of Kingman. Initiatives focus on job creation, education, business development, tax base growth, and quality of place efforts.

06/26/2026

It’s the final day of International Placemaking Week in Detroit!

This morning’s session, Place-Led Development: Connecting Placemaking with Development, explores a simple but powerful idea: development doesn’t just create great places—great places create development.

The photo below is a downtown Detroit park that is transformed into an urban beach several times each year. While the beach is temporary, the investment in public space is permanent. Throughout downtown, parks, plazas, green spaces, and gathering places have been intentionally woven into the city, creating destinations where people want to spend time.

The temporary beach is just one example of the “Power of 10+”—giving people multiple reasons to stay. Grab lunch, catch a show, relax in the shade, meet friends, let the kids play, or simply enjoy being downtown. The longer people stay, the more they support local businesses and contribute to a vibrant downtown.

This afternoon, I’ll join fellow Kansans in presenting Planting Seeds: How State Art Agencies Catalyze Community Resilience, sharing how projects like Planes on the Plains demonstrate how art and placemaking can help strengthen communities of every size.

It’s been an inspiring week, and I’m excited to bring these ideas home to Kingman.

06/25/2026

This full-day workshop features three practical sessions led by Cindy Miles, CEO of the Kansas Alliance for Nonprofits:
• Steps to Starting a Nonprofit
• Let's Talk Nonprofits: Open Q&A
• Diversifying Your Funding for Sustainability
✅ Free to attend
🍽️ Lunch is provided
🤝 Open to current nonprofit leaders, board members, volunteers, and anyone interested in starting a nonprofit.
Register today: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/taj2mza
Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!

06/25/2026

Day 2: Michigan Central sat vacant for decades. Once the symbol of Detroit’s decline, it is now one of the city’s most exciting examples of reinvestment and innovation.

The lesson isn’t simply that an old building was restored. It’s that the project created a place where entrepreneurs, researchers, businesses, artists, and the community come together. The building became a catalyst for something much larger.

In Kingman, we have opportunities to think beyond bricks and mortar. Whether it’s a historic building, a public space, or a community gathering place, the greatest return often comes from how those spaces bring people together, support local businesses, inspire entrepreneurship, attract visitors, and create experiences that make people want to invest, live, and stay.

Placemaking isn’t about copying what Detroit did. It’s about learning the principle behind it: communities grow when they intentionally create places that matter.

That’s a lesson every community, regardless of size, can take home.