Two Lawrence entrepreneurs in seemingly vastly different sectors have forged a new partnership.
Moniquè Mercurio, Ohlone Costanoan Esselen Nation, said Kyle Johnson has welcomed them to “lead Indigenously” through Douglas County CORE.
“Leading Indigenously means following the people,” Mercurio said. “It means catering to their needs, and it means trusting the heartbeat of it all. … It means creating goodness and happiness. And I think that sometimes we get so wrapped up in the patriarchal idea of what success looks like.”
The two met when Mercurio was working with the former Art Love Collective. Johnson, founder of CORE (Connections, Opportunities and Resources for Entrepreneurs), was working with the former Black:30 organization on a two-year plan for entrepreneurial growth across the county. When the dust settled after the fallout from Art Love Collective’s closure, they discovered their ideas aligned in ways that could tackle problems within the ecosystem.
CORE, the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, the University of Kansas Small Business Development Center, economic developers, the city and the county have been the major local players.
When Mercurio began working as CORE’s director of operations in January, they were able to start bringing folks previously absent to the table.
“That’s what’s been missing – caring for the entrepreneur and understanding their individual circumstances and what they need,” Johnson said. “And Monique does that naturally.”
Mercurio and Johnson have chiseled out CORE’s original two-year plan and begun putting it into action. They start by hosting large events aimed at funnelling people into bi-weekly roundtables that are offered in each of the following categories:
• Arts, wellness and local;
• Business-to-business models and tech;
• BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) entrepreneurs;
• Food- and farm-based businesses;
• Manufacturing;
• Second stage, referring to businesses looking to grow or sell; and
• Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs.
Roundtables are platforms for open discussions about barriers and successes, and speakers offer training in various industries. Networking with other creatives also lends itself to a natural barter system.
“The whole point is to build a pipeline of entrepreneurs,” Johnson said. “So having these big events, these marquee events, that then lead into these roundtables, is building the pipeline.”
Mercurio brings experience as an artist and grassroots organizer. In December, they hosted the Inclusive Winter Market alongside artist Kassidee Quaranta. Around 100 vendors participated, many who said they’ve experienced inaccessibility at other major markets in Lawrence.
“The deeper I get into these pockets of, you know, privileged spaces that I didn’t have access to before, the more that I realize that sometimes the community that’s looking to be helped is getting overlooked because of all the policies that are happening,” Mercurio said. “So all of the legalities and technicalities become the focus. And I think I’m just here to make sure that the focus stays on the community.”
Johnson, who’s a tech guy, said he learned from other communities around the country as he was building his startup company, Bixy. He said no matter the sector, whether it’s art or tech, there’s a base level of free support all can benefit from.
CORE has continued support from the city, with $95,000 for the organization in the city’s adopted 2025 budget. It’s not currently receiving funding from the county.
Having networks, mentorships and access to capital are essential to achieve high-paying job opportunities, Johnson said, but Lawrence’s inability to switch up its approach over the years has kept it stuck. Fluidity, connectivity, density and diversity are measures of a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem, according to the Kauffman Foundation.
“We’re not very fluid,” Johnson said. “We’re not very connected, you know, and for being such a small community, it’s a big miss. So we got some work to do, but that doesn’t mean it’s an indictment on everybody doing good work here. It just means that there’s a lot more to be done.”
The next roundtable is scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18 in Meeting Room B at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St. It’s the first under the food and farm sector, with discussions and resource-sharing tailored to local farmers, food producers and processors, and other food-related small business owners.
An option to join virtually Tuesday is also available via this Zoom link.
Roundtables are free, and there’s no membership or registration required. People can join CORE’s network to stay up-to-date on events and opportunities.
For more information, visit douglascountycore.com.
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Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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