Thrive 2025, Kansas City’s signature community development celebration, was held Wed., Nov. 12 at the Zhou B. Art Center in Kansas City, Mo., bringing together hundreds of residents, civic leaders, and partners to honor individuals and organizations whose work strengthens neighborhoods and expands opportunity.
The annual awards are sponsored by Kansas City LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), which provides capital, technical assistance, and partnerships to support economic development, affordable housing, sustainability, and other programs in low-income and historically under-invested communities. LISC’s Thrive event honors those whose work ensures all Kansas Citians have the opportunity to prosper.
Among the five honorees, one name stood out—not only for his iconic barbecue legacy, but for a development impact few in Kansas City fully understand: Ollie W. Gates, recipient of the Jim White Community Development Legacy Award.
Ollie Gates: From Barbecue Icon to Corridor Builder
Most Kansas Citians know the Gates name because of the family’s famous barbecue restaurants. But the deeper story—and the one being honored at Thrive—is Ollie Gates’ sweeping influence on corridor revitalization, business development, cultural preservation, and real-estate investment across Kansas City’s east side.
Even as Gates grew the family’s barbecue business, he was helping grow the communities around his restaurants. In 1970, Gates created OG Investment, his real-estate arm, and began acquiring and redeveloping commercial and residential properties east of Troost, investing heavily in the areas around his restaurants.
His work helped transform major corridors including the 12th & Brooklyn area—once distressed and fading—into a thriving business and economic hub. His daughter Kiva Gates noted that her father helped turn around the Brooklyn area by keeping his properties clean, safe, and attractive.
Gates also invested heavily along Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd., rebuilding storefronts, stabilizing aging properties at a time when reinvestment east of Troost was rare.
“My dad said in order to protect your property you have to branch out in the community and keep all of it clean.”
“The most important lesson here is, if you’re willing to invest and maintain commercial properties you can dramatically change the quality of neighborhoods and that’s very evident in all the areas where Gates has operations,” said civic leader Jack Holland.
He co-founded the Twelfth Street Heritage Development Corporation in 1984 to reverse neighborhood decline and spur new residential construction, including Arzelia Gardens and other housing projects.
“Create and build east of Troost, he is obsessed with it,” said Congressman Emanuel Cleaver.
Gates’ public-service legacy is equally significant. As a long-time member of the Kansas City Board of Parks & Recreation Commissioners, he helped persuade the board to place funding proposals before voters—supporting expansion at the Kansas City Zoo, improvements at Starlight Theatre, and the renovation of Liberty Memorial.
On the Brush Creek project, Gates insisted that the redesign include beautification, landscaping, and walkable trails—not merely a concrete flood-control channel—arguing that public spaces deserved beauty as well as functionality.
At 94, Gates continues to influence development and mentor future leaders. His work—spanning restaurants, real estate, and civic leadership—has helped shape Kansas City’s urban core for generations.
CCED: Economic Development Champion Fueling East-Side Revitalization
The Central City Economic Development (CCED) Sales Tax District received the Thrive Economic Development Champion Award, recognizing its catalytic role in rebuilding the east side. Approved by voters in 2017 as a ⅛-cent sales tax, CCED supports projects within district boundaries stretching from 9th Street on the north to Gregory Blvd. on the south, and Indiana Ave. on the east to The Paseo on the west.
Since its creation, CCED has committed more than $87 million to more than 52 projects, helping create over 3,500 jobs and hundreds of new affordable housing units. The program’s gap-financing approach has made development possible in places where projects were historically deemed too risky.
Recent and ongoing CCED investments include the historic Boone Theater restoration, the SouthPointe project at 63rd Street, the Emmanuel Family and Child Development Center expansion, KC Academy, renovation of Jazz Hill Apartments, and the One Nine Vine mixed-use project.
In many cases, CCED provided the crucial piece of financing needed to make these developments viable. Without it, most of the projects would not have moved forward. The district’s 10-year authorization expires soon, and a renewal vote will be on the ballot in April 2026.
Marvin Lyman: Outstanding Partner of the Year
Marvin Lyman, honored as the Outstanding Partner of the Year, has been a leading voice in development of the ProspectUS plan to reverse decades of disinvestment in neighborhoods along Prospect Avenue in KCMO. He also worked to produce the Heartland Equitable Development Symposium to ensure revitalization includes long-time residents and creates sustainable pathways for shared prosperity.
Pathway Financial Education: Financial Empowerment Champion
Pathway Financial Education was named the Financial Empowerment Champion. The organization served more than 1,500 community members in 2024 through financial workshops, coaching, business-planning support, and programs like the DoorDash Accelerator for Local Business. By connecting residents and small business owners with trusted advisors and tools, Pathway is strengthening financial stability and long-term economic opportunity across the metro.
Sandra Olivas: Affordable Housing Champion
Sandra Olivas, Community Development Director at First Federal Bank of Kansas City, received the Affordable Housing Champion award. She has helped nearly 1,000 families achieve first-time homeownership, offering bilingual education and counseling that bridge community needs and lending systems. Her work expands access to stable, affordable housing and supports generational wealth-building in communities across Kansas City.