Kansas City World Cup & City Development Opportunity

Date: May 20, 2025
Participants: Gary Sheng, Troy Carlson, Heidi Lehmann, Ian Wylie Hedrick
Key Topics: Kansas City development, 2026 World Cup, DAO initiatives, Faith-based opportunities
Arranged by: Ian Wylie Hedrick

Overview

This conversation centered on Kansas City's potential for major development initiatives, particularly around the 2026 FIFA World Cup and broader city revitalization efforts. Ian Wylie Hedrick facilitated an introduction between Gary Sheng and Kansas City leaders Troy Carlson (founder of Initiatives Inc.) and Heidi Lehmann (strategic director for LIGO partners). The discussion explored innovative approaches to city development, blockchain/DAO technology applications, and opportunities for significant collaboration between Gary's expertise in "pop-up villages" and the Kansas City ecosystem.

Key Points Discussed

Kansas City's Strategic Position & Potential

• Central Location: Kansas City is "exactly in the middle" of the United States, making it strategically positioned for nationwide initiatives
• Diverse Demographics: Troy described Kansas City as "representative of the country writ large. We're not a red city. We're not a blue city. We're a purple city."
• Infrastructure Advantages: Half of internet traffic routes through Kansas City; it was the first Google Fiber city and has significant rail infrastructure
• Economic Development Challenges:
  • Falling behind peer metros in growth metrics
  • Workforce constraints limiting economic potential
  • Need to attract knowledge-based talent
  • Need to increase productivity and GDP from exporting industries

Kansas City DAO Initiative

• Project Lead: Troy Carlson is spearheading a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) initiative to transform Kansas City
• Strategic Vision: Position Kansas City as a "premier global hub for entrepreneurship, innovation, tech, sustainability, research, culture, and the arts"
• Implementation Approach:
  • Structured as a representative republic with transparent governance
  • Using blockchain for transparency, immutability, and trust
  • Partnership with University of Nicosia (first university with masters in blockchain)
  • Legal structure under Wyoming's DUNA legislation
• Current Status: Still in development but gaining traction; planning a September event with high-net-worth individuals called HDAX

World Cup 2026 Opportunities

• Economic Impact: World Cup cities typically see "5-10% GDP growth for the next 5-10 years"
• Construction Needs: Potential for utilizing Gary's expertise in rapid construction methods and "pop-up villages"
• Challenge: Heidi noted that while she knows people on the planning committees, they are "very buttoned up" and specific proposals would be needed
• Connection Pathways: Rich Chongong was mentioned as someone working on "a very specific kind of web three virtual part" of the World Cup

Innovative City Development Concepts

• All-Win Cities Model: Gary outlined his concept of digitizing city "citizenship" through crypto wallets, giving residents ownership stakes in new developments
• Freedom Cities Connection: Gary mentioned this approach aligns with the Trump administration's Freedom Cities agenda
• Meta-City Network: Troy presented Harvard Business Review's "Rise of the Meta City" concept, noting Kansas City could join this global network
• International Investment: Discussion of partnerships with strategic international investors, including middle eastern investment (via Dennis O'Connell of Peregrine Digital from Abu Dhabi)

Faith-Based Integration

• Christofuturist Festival: Gary proposed a "trans-denominational Christofuturist Revivalist Festival" for 2026
• Faith Office Connections: Gary mentioned his advisory role to Paula White at the White House faith office
• Cultural Alignment: Both Gary and Troy discussed their faith backgrounds and the potential for faith-based initiatives in Kansas City

Potential Collaboration Areas

1. World Cup Infrastructure: Using Gary's experience with rapid construction and "pop-up villages" to enhance World Cup facilities and experiences

2. Kansas City Collective: Reimagining the Kansas City DAO as a "super collective of high agency people" with transparent governance

3. World's Fair Concept: Potential for a World's Fair-type event starting July 4, 2026 to align with America's 250th anniversary

4. Faith-Based Festival: Developing the "Christofuturist" festival concept in Kansas City

5. Education Innovation: Leveraging Gary's education expertise to address workforce development challenges

Key Quotes

Troy Carlson:

"Kansas City is a remarkable place. You have to see to believe. And it's, and just like you said, Oh, I see where Kansas city is. I could, I put this in my presentation. We're fly over country, but until people come here, they just are enamored with what is in this metropolitan area."

"The problem with the DAO, the problem the DAO solves is there's too much talent in Kansas city that are left out of the narrative. And the DAO is a great tool to whip that talent out and to get them into the forefront."

Gary Sheng:

"The thing is like, I mentioned when I said, I don't need federal funding to make this happen. If we can just aggregate the capital that is, it's the Troy, it's the easiest sell. What I'm saying is 1776 to July 4th, 1776 to July 4th, 2026 was America 1.0. Do you want to be a co-founder of America 2.0?"

"I'm looking at Kansas City right in the middle of this country. I'm just like, this is like, this is too easy, too perfect."

Ian Wylie Hedrick:

"There's just something called the Holy Spirit intuition that just tells me like Kansas City is going to have a really grand future. And knowing Gary and his network and knowing you guys and your network, I think there's a beautiful overlap in really helping guide that."

Heidi Lehmann:

"These people, they're just they're very buttoned up like the woman that I know, like was the president of the Casey Fed for like 20 years. So now she's working on the World Cup."

Next Steps

1. Arrange Gary's Visit to Kansas City: Troy invited Gary to come to Kansas City to experience it firsthand and meet key stakeholders

2. Share Documentation: Troy agreed to share his Kansas City DAO presentation deck with Gary

3. Group Communication: Established a group text chat for ongoing communication

4. Explore Specific Opportunities: Identify concrete projects where Gary's expertise could provide immediate value

5. Develop World Cup Strategy: Create a specific proposal for how Gary's experience could enhance World Cup planning

Strategic Considerations

• Branding Challenges: Gary expressed concerns about the "DAO" terminology being outdated (a "2021 word")

• Governance Balance: Finding the right balance between centralized leadership and decentralized participation

• Approach to Established Networks: Need for specific, tailored proposals when approaching the "buttoned up" Kansas City leadership

• Talent Attraction: Positioning Kansas City as an attractive destination for entrepreneurs and innovators

• Faith Integration: Balancing faith-based initiatives with broader development goals

Conclusion

The conversation revealed significant potential for collaboration between Gary's innovative approaches to city development and Kansas City's strategic needs around the 2026 World Cup and broader revitalization. There was clear enthusiasm from all participants about Kansas City's potential to become a model for innovative city development, particularly with its central location, existing infrastructure advantages, and current momentum. The next steps involve direct experience of Kansas City by Gary and developing specific collaboration proposals.