Fighting poverty, two generations at a time | Natasha Kirsch | TEDxKCWomen

Poverty is not a character flaw—it’s a built-in feature of every economy on the planet. But it can be dismantled. Natasha Kirsch has piloted a successful solution that uses a repeatable business model to break the cycle of generational poverty. Natasha Kirsch if the founder and Executive Director of Empowering the Parent to Empower the Child (EPEC), which operates The Grooming Project, Natasha believes in a two-generation approach to breaking the cycle of poverty. Basic needs for food and shelter must be met before a parent can focus on guiding children through school and out of poverty, so a living-wage, family-flexible career for the parent is key. Natasha’s idea earned support from the UMKC Bloch School’s Aaron L. Levitt Social Entrepreneurship Challenge in 2013.