Digital Life Exchange (DLX)
Coordinating Care-related Digital Services in Kansas City
For the latest DLX Updates – click here.
DLX Members
What is the DLX
The Digital Life Exchange (DLX) is a member network for human and social service agencies and community organizations across the Kansas City metro area to help their clients access the tools and support they need to fully participate in the digital economy, including improved access to devices, connectivity, digital skills, and support services for underserved populations. Membership is FREE for direct-service providers.
Benefits of Joining the DLX
By joining the DLX, your organization gains access to a variety of resources, such as:
- Direct Support Exchange
- Referrals to 1:1 digital navigation services available at our Digital Services and Support Center, including help accessing affordable internet service
- Train-the-trainer classes to help you implement plug ‘n’ play digital skills curriculum so you can quickly ramp up new workshops and classes to support your program participants in this digital age
- Refer your low-income clients to receive a free laptop for work, school, healthcare access and more with limited access to tech support. Supplies are limited, and some restrictions apply based on source and funding.($)
- Capacity-building Resources
- Access to trained Digital Ambassadors who provide guidance on digital literacy, device access, and connectivity solutions for the communities you serve at your site ($)
- Funded or subsidized capacity through Lead for America American Connection Corps members embedded in your organization to provide support for digital inclusion-related programs ($)
- Networking and Connections
- Participation in the Digital Inclusion Learning Circle, a network of trainers who share knowledge and resources to level up their digital skills support for their organizations
- Open invitation to share about your programs and services at monthly KC Coalition for Digital Inclusion meetings to facilitate more mutually beneficial partnerships
- Collective Impact
- Feature your event, program or success story in the Digital Inclusion Newsletter
- Aggregated DLX reporting informs the ecosystem and lets funders and other stakeholders learn about your work and impact
- Collaboration on future grant applications to support your digital inclusion work
- Access to potential synergistic opportunities identified by KC Digital Drive team members to help you develop more mutually beneficial partnerships with other DLX members
$ – Funding availability may vary
To learn more and become a member, contact Leslie Scott at lscott at kcdigitaldrive dot org.
DLX Members
- Amethyst Place
- ArtsTech
- Black Family Technology Awareness Association
- Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas
- City of Kansas City, Missouri
- Community Housing of Wyandotte County
- Dave’s Place Community Impact Center
- Della Lamb
- digiSTORY KC
- ECKAN (East Central Kansas Opportunity Corps)
- El Centro
- Front Porch Alliance
- Full Employment Council
- MERS Goodwill (Formerly Goodwill MOKAN)
- Guadalupe Centers
- Hispanic Economic Development Corporation
- Housing Authority of Kansas City, Missouri
- Jewish Family Services
- Jewish Vocational Services
- Johnson County, KS
- Journey to New Life
- Heart of America Indian Center d/b/a Kansas City Indian Center
- Kansas City Kansas Community College
- Kauffman Foundation
- KC Digital Drive
- Latinx Education Collaborative
- LINC
- Linwood Property Inc. – Digital Services & Support Center at the LAMP Campus
- Literacy KC
- Memorial Church International
- Metro Lutheran Ministry
- Miami County, KS
- Missouri Assistive Technology
- Mt Calvary Missionary Baptist Church
- NCircle
- Parkville Living Center
- Phoenix Family
- TechConnect KC
- The Mission Project
- The Toolbox KC
- Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS
- Urban Ranger Corps
- Veterans Upward Bound
- Vineyard Neighborhood Association
- Wendell Phillips Neighborhood Association
- Winder & Associates
- Workforce Partnership
How the DLX started
Since its founding in 2012, KC Digital Drive has been the civic organization leading the region’s digital evolution, specifically addressing digital needs across broadband, connectivity, and adoption alongside emerging tech innovation to ensure life-enhancing opportunities for all those in the bi-state region.
KCDD is usually doing the kinds of invisible work that happens outside the public eye. We bring clarity and structure to new ideas with many stakeholders. We bring resources and expertise to bear to help fuel the development of novel ideas, and we help the most promising among them find a path forward. And, when necessary, we provide the resource rails for advanced ideas to be implemented and stood up in our communities.
The DLX model follows this consistent approach we have developed over many projects through the years to address Kansas City’s digital needs, emergent technologies, and inclusive economic opportunities in the communities we serve. It can be traced back to a group of human service agencies that worked collaboratively on a 2023 federally-funded, affordability-based ACP Outreach Campaign, and expanded with a larger consortium that adopted a regional approach to digital equity and submitted an NTIA Digital Equity Act proposal in 2024. It further builds on the foundation of the KC Goes Tech and MO Goes Tech programs, which provide integral resources and technical assistance to enable nonprofit organizations to launch digital skills classes and provide devices to trainees in an effort to meet the unique needs of those they serve.
The DLX addresses the ongoing and emergent need for digital services as part of core-care across all human and social services, and is a necessary evolution of digital inclusion-first tactics that have proven to be difficult to sustain.
Carol Meyers
Digital Skills Trainer
Leslie Scott
Digital Inclusion Program Manager
Kari Keefe
Director of Operations
Leah Henriksen
Digital Equity Coordinator - Communications