Cycling to the Capital

by Kayshiona Acquaye

Karl Fundenberger, ’08, is not your typical media specialist. He is also a bicycle advocate, a TEDx speaker, an art activist, and a former director of Kansas’ first bikeshare program. His passion for cycling and urban design goes beyond his work. He has volunteered in Iceland, started his own company, and helped launch an art collective.

As the media specialist for the Kansas Legislative Research Department, he now brings information to the Legislature and to the rest of Kansas with transparency and technology, which comes with a sacrifice.

“It’s a nonpartisan role,” said Fundenberger. “I can’t post anything political on my Facebook or Twitter. I have to remain publicly neutral. My wife can have all the things -bumper stickers and donations to campaigns. But I can’t have political yard signs or even bumper stickers.”

This rule of neutrality allows team members within his department to work with anyone in the statehouse, regardless of political affiliation.

“My whole job is to try and modernize our research department,” said Fundenberger. “Our research department publishes many thousands of pages regarding state budgets, notes about bills, state finances, and plain English summaries of what the Legislature is doing.”

Fundenberger’s role is to modernize the research department’s website and publications and make them accessible beyond the standard PDF files.

Keri Renner, '03, is the director of marketing and communications for Topeka Metro, and she has known Fundenberger for many years. Renner and Fundenberger crossed paths at Topeka Metro and previously when he was designing websites with Frye Allen.

“Karl was always positive and great to work with,” said Renner. “He was really good at fostering relationships in the community.”

Fundenberger loves his work and his family, but he also has a burning passion for cycling and promoting it in the community. Considering all the ways Fundenberger has been a part of the Topeka community, it’s hard to imagine that he would want to be anywhere else.

But, the Topeka High School graduate once had a dream of leaving town after graduating from Washburn. When it got close to graduation time, Fundenberger started sending his resume to agencies across the East coast.

“I sent my resume all over the place, really put it out there,” Fundenberger said. “I sent it to agencies in Chicago, New York, Baltimore, Boston and Philly. I was looking at openings - writing a nice letter each time and this was back in 2008- right when the recession hit. I had sent out 50 resumes and heard back from zero.”

With no word back from anyone,

Fundenberger kept his job with WIBW where he created graphics and worked on the station’s website, and then, he started to see things in a different light.

“I realized that Topeka had a lot of potential and a lot of challenges,” Fundenberger said. “I wanted to be part of the solution, not just complain about the problems.”

Fundenberger then got a job working with a political campaign.

“When we lost, that job went away, and I was basically freelancing for two and a half years after college, mostly because of the recession; most agencies were cutting staff because of tight budgets,” Fundenberger said.

However, in 2010, Fundenberger was recruited to work for Frye Allen

Advertising, a well-known local agency.

It was exciting for Fundenberger to have his first job in advertising. The company reached out to him in 2010, searching for a social media person.

Fundenberger worked for the agency for two years until it went out of business, and he once again found himself as a freelancer, which he said was “an unpredictable and rocky road.”

“Freelancing is really tough and requires a lot of help -- help I didn’t ask for or seek out,” said Fundenberger. “The good that came from the agency closing was that they were able to turn over a few clients to me, which helped to keep me afloat for quite a while.”

Despite some healthy financial deposits, he faced a lot of inconsistency in his income. While he appreciated being his own boss, Fundenberger said he needed a fulltime job.

“Now that I look back, I think some different choices might have made me more successful,” said Fundenberger. Yet, he does not regret his choice to keep moving forward in his career.

While Fundenberger’s current work reflects his passion for information and technology, he also has a creative side.

During his time in Student Media, Fundenberger worked as a reporter, photographer, and designer.

“It was fun to develop those skills alongside the work from my classes,” Fundenberger said. “I was getting real life skills, writing and working with an editor, and working on a deadline.”

Fundenberger also created and wrote columns for the Washburn Review - Karl’s Kars and Karl’s Kulture - where he reviewed cars and local arts events.

“It was a great experience,” Fundenberger said. “I got to drive some cool cars, interview some interesting people, and work with some talented editors. I was also staying true to my creative self, which was a fun challenge and a good learning exercise that would come in handy later on and for what I still continue to do today.”