In only 4 months, Laura’s Takes Heart initiative drove over $250,000 in new revenue to women-owned businesses across Kansas City. The 5-foot-tall interactive sculpture – acquired by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation – became a citywide movement for economic equity during the 2024 Parade of Hearts.
The heart sculpture featured NFC-enabled tiles that connected engaged visitors to a database of women-owned businesses from the Kansas City region. Each business maintained full control over a profile that was randomly displayed when each of the tiles was scanned.
With the Kauffman Foundation’s involvement, Takes Heart was the catalyst for:
- Women-Owned Spotlight Events
The community rallied around local makers and business owners who were hired to distribute products to thousands of attendees. - Entrepreneurs + Policy Event
More than 80 founders gathered for networking and childcare policy discussions alongside the release of United WE’s Care for the Economy report. - Digital Community
Takes-Heart.org supported entrepreneurs online extending the initiative’s life and reach.
The Takes Heart blueprint is a replicable model aligning cultural storytelling, large-scale partners, and measurable economic impact. The initiative and blueprint has evolved into Laura’s One Ball for All initiative slated to drive economic equity and community impact at local, national, and international levels in 2026.
Read more about Takes Heart:
- The village is real; it’s me; it’s you: Family of support at the heart of successful women entrepreneurs (Startland News)
- Heart celebrates women business owners (Kauffman Foundation Currents)
- 2024: A year of renewed commitment (Kauffman Foundation Currents)
- Takes Heart (Parade of Hearts)
