Why NEXT Missouri 

Over the past decade, innovation and entrepreneurship activities have grown significantly across Missouri. New startups, new industries, and new jobs are transforming our state’s economy. 

In fact, state & federal jobs data show nearly 80% of new jobs in Missouri (averaging 40,000+ per year) are created by startups and their new firms. That’s an average of 40,000+ jobs per year! Furthermore, wages paid by these new firms exceed the state average after year two.

However, this momentum is often uneven across the state – geographically, demographically, and across industry sectors. And, our economic development policies remain focused often on incentivizing large companies.

As Missouri adopts new economic development practices to become the “Best in the Midwest”, Innovation and Entrepreneurship must be a sustained top priority of Missouri and its economic development strategy. This will ensure the state excels in the future economy and that all communities in the state – rural, urban, and in between – experience economic opportunity.  

NEXT Missouri, a statewide advocacy coalition, assembles entrepreneurs and those who support them to change the narrative in Missouri about who and what drives economic growth and job creation.

The coalition builds policy-related awareness among the public, influencers and policymakers by highlighting the impact of entrepreneurship and innovation across the state and developing a unified policy agenda to address some of Missouri’s barriers to entrepreneurship.

The pillars of NEXT Missouri’s platform align with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s comprehensive “America’s New Business Plan” to help reduce barriers to entrepreneurship.

• Opportunity: A Level Playing Field and Less Red Tape

• Funding: Equal Access to the Right Kind of Capital Everywhere

• Knowledge: The Know-how to Start a Business

• Support: The Ability for All to Take Risks 

Through sustained advocacy and policy priorities around these pillars, NEXT Missouri helps ensure entrepreneurs and their startup companies are recognized and supported as the primary engine for job growth in Missouri.  

You can see some of the supporting member organizations below. We’re in this together!