Davids Hosts Johnson County Small Business Roundtable to Discuss Growth, Challenges

OVERLAND PARK, KS – Today, Representative Sharice Davids hosted a roundtable discussion with Johnson County small business owners and economic development leaders to talk about the successes and challenges facing local businesses and to highlight new data on the region’s growing small business ecosystem. She has hosted similar discussions in each of the other counties across Kansas’ Third District to ensure local perspectives are shaping her work in Congress.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy — and here in Kansas, they’re driving real growth,” said Davids. “We’re seeing more entrepreneurs step up, more new businesses open their doors, and more jobs created right here at home. But at the same time, these businesses are facing challenges, like reckless tariffs that are raising their costs and forcing tough decisions. My job is to make sure Washington is working for them — lowering costs, strengthening supply chains, and ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed.”

Davids previously released an updated report on the state of Kansas’ small business ecosystem. The report, which builds on her initial 2022 analysis, outlines recent growth trends and details the steps she is taking in Congress to support entrepreneurs — including voting to strengthen domestic supply chains and introducing legislation to support underrepresented business owners, including women, veterans, and Native Americans.

Key findings from the report include:

• In 2023, 10,704 new business applications were filed in Kansas’ Third District — up 12.6 percent since 2022 and 42.7 percent since 2019.
• Out of Kansas’ 33,268 new small business applications in 2023, Johnson County led the state with 8,272 new applications.
• The Kansas Small Business Development Center (SBDC) served 1,399 clients in 2023, leading to $94 million in annual sales, 4,714 jobs created, and 52 new businesses.
• In 2023, Kansas’ Third District had 16,374 small businesses employing 169,254 people — accounting for 92.4 percent of all employers in the district.

During her time in Congress, Davids has worked across the aisle to support small businesses. As a former member of the House Small Business Committee, she pushed back against reckless tariffs that raise costs for small business owners, called for strong oversight of pandemic relief programs to prevent fraud, and focused on strengthening domestic supply chains to support small- and medium-sized manufacturers. She has also prioritized efforts to reduce excessive paperwork for small businesses and support individual workers, including veterans, women, and people in recovery.

Participants in the roundtable included representatives from:

• 030 Holding Company
• Abovo LLC 
• Engage Insurance Group
• Hope Roots Collective
• Johnson County Community College
• Kansas City Women’s Business Center
• Kansas Small Business Development Center
• Landworks Studio
• Learning Tree Toys
• Navitas
• Poole Fire Protection
• Ralph F. Munyan Attorney at Law, LLC
• Springboard Creative
• Sweet Tee's Coffee Shop

Davids emphasized that continued collaboration between federal, state, and local partners is critical to adequately support Kansas’ small businesses.