Event
Resilient Success Stories

Dec 4 2026 | 8:30 - 11am

Kauffman Foundation Conference Center, 4801 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO

MARC will recognize projects in our region that demonstrate resilience and align with the Kansas City Regional Climate Action Plan. Project representatives will share short presentations communicating the impacts of these projects and answer questions.

In addition, we are excited to feature a keynote speech from climate resilience expert and Executive Director of PRE Collective, Shalini Vajjhala and host a panel on the future of resilience in the metro with local resilience leaders following the feature presentations.

Additional details

Shalini Vajjhala, PhD

Keynote speaker

Shalini Vajjhala, PhD, is the Executive Director of PRE Collective and a nationally recognized infrastructure and climate resilience expert with more than 20 years of experience designing, funding, and financing community-centered resilient infrastructure solutions.

Over the last decade, she founded and led the design firm re:focus partners and co-founded The Atlas, an online platform for local government collaboration and innovation.

Previously, Shalini served in multiple positions in the Obama Administration, including Special Representative in the Office of the Administrator and Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Office of International & Tribal Affairs at the US EPA and as Deputy Associate Director for Energy and Climate at the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

She is currently a Board Member of Smart Growth America. Shalini holds a B.Arch in Architecture and PhD in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.

Honorees

Rock Island Bridge

The revitalization of the historic Rock Island railroad bridge crossing the Kansas River and connecting the West Bottoms of Kansas City, Missouri, with Armourdale neighborhood in Kansas City, Kansas, has received thorough media attention the last several years due to its ambition and anticipation for its eventual opening to the public. Described as "America's first trailhead and entertainment district over a river," the project was launched by Michael Zeller and Flying Truss, LLC after a 2017 MARC Planning Sustainable Places study. In 2022, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, purchased the bridge, which upon its opening has joined the High Line Network recognizing infrastructure reuse projects creating vibrant walkable spaces across the continent.

Renew the Blue

Renew the Blue, an initiative steered by the Heartland Conservation Alliance, has worked since 2017 to restore, protect and engage those in the region to learn about and utilize the Blue River -- a watershed that impacts over 800,000 in the metropolitan area. The American Rescue Plan provided an opportunity for focused restoration of the river's riparian tree canopy, and improved watershed ecology through streamside and neighborhood native plantings. The project's vision is that a healthier Blue River will positively impact not only nearby habitats, but community connection, recreation and even development for the area.

Hyde Park Farmers Market

Hyde Park Farmers Market is a neighborhood-led open-air market founded in fall 2025 and operated by the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association. The market provides a recurring place for Midtown residents to shop from nearby farmers, artists, makers and other small businesses in a neighborhood park setting. It uses a flexible, low-barrier participation model for vendors, charging no fees for participation and requiring no contractual commitments locking them into dates that don't work with their availability or capacity. The markets serve to close a gap in midtown Kansas City, Missouri, with regard to fresh food and grocery access, while also providing a venue to sell produce that is grown nearby.

A person riding a bike in a bike lane in downtown Kansas City with a city bus behind them

Bike Share KC

Bike Share KC, formerly known as RideKC Bike, is Greater Kansas City's electric bike share program. Now in its 14th year of operation, Bike Share KC is managed by BikeWalkKC and operated through a public/private/nonprofit partnership serving a six-community network spanning Kansas City, Missouri; North Kansas City, Missouri; Kansas City, Kansas; Lenexa, Kansas; Overland Park, Kansas; and the Aspiria corporate campus in Overland Park. The program operates a fleet of 400 electric pedal-assisted bikes across 98 hub locations throughout the region.

Location

The Kauffman Foundation Conference Center is a nationally recognized convening site located adjacent to the Kauffman Foundation offices in south Kansas City. This facility welcomes more than 75,000 thought leaders per year.

Address

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 4801 Rockhill Rd, Kansas City, MO 64110

Transit options

The building is on the west side of Kauffman Legacy Park, two blocks south of the 401 and 47 bus stops at Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd and Rockhill Rd.
It sits on the opposite side of Kauffman Legacy Lake from the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center (one block south of the Troost Max and 25 bus stop at Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd and Troost). There is a 0.2 mi walking trail connecting the two (about a five-minute walk).
The venue is also a half-mile southeast of the streetcar stop for the Country Club Plaza (at Cleaver II Blvd & Brookside Blvd). This is about a 15-minute walk.

For more routes, download the WAY TO GO KC app!

Topics: Resilient Success Stories

Focus Area: Environment