How Polsinelli stepped onto the national stage without stepping away from its KC roots
November 10, 2026 | Haines Eason, Freelance Kansas
Greg Kratofil, managing partner of Polsinelli's Kansas City office; photo courtesy of Polsinelli
Editor’s Note: Polsinelli is a financial supporter of Startland News.
For nearly three decades, attorney Greg Kratofil has watched Kansas City’s technology community grow from a network of emerging companies and advocates into an increasingly connected ecosystem of entrepreneurs, investors and established businesses.
Along the way, Kratofil and his colleagues at Polsinelli have helped bring people together, supporting organizations and initiatives aimed at strengthening the region’s technology economy.
Today, that commitment continues alongside the firm’s growth into a nationally recognized technology law practice, a relationship Kratofil sees as mutually reinforcing.
“We’re working with some of the most innovative technology companies in the world, and I think a lot of people don’t realize how much of that practice grew out of Kansas City,” said Kratofil, managing partner of Polsinelli’s Kansas City office and co-chair of its national Technology Transactions and Data Privacy practice.
As Kansas City prepares to welcome entrepreneurs, investors and technology leaders for this week’s MidxMidwest and other regional events, Polsinelli’s involvement offers an opportunity to reflect on the relationships that have helped shape the local ecosystem — and the opportunities those relationships continue to create.
A rising tide lifts all boats
When Kratofil helped establish the KC Tech Council in 2006, the organization sought to connect local technology businesses and give the industry a collective voice.
Kara Lowe, KC Tech Council; courtesy photo
Over the following two decades, that mission expanded alongside Kansas City’s technology sector, said Kara Lowe, president and CEO of the KC Tech Council.
“Kansas City’s tech community has grown tremendously, not just in size, but in sophistication and connectivity,” she explained. “Kansas City has established itself as a place where enterprise tech can grow, new tech companies can launch, and the middle market can thrive.”
Today, the council’s work extends into workforce development, public policy, industry research and regional competitiveness. Polsinelli has remained involved throughout that evolution.
“Greg recognized early on the value of giving KC’s tech industry a collective voice, and that vision continues to shape our work today,” Lowe said.
For Polsinelli, building the local technology community has meant investing in opportunities for people and organizations to connect.
“Land Shark” Greg Kratofil, Polsinelli, awards his novelty check from the Pure Pitch Rally crowd; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Greg Kratofil, Polsinelli, and Michael Graber, RSM, speak from the stage during the 2024 ARtechBBQ; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
The firm hosted ARtechBBQ for years, bringing together technology professionals and entrepreneurs. Its involvement also includes early work associated with Google Fiber’s arrival in Kansas City, more than a decade of support for the Pure Pitch Rally, and ongoing partnerships with the KC Tech Council and other regional initiatives.
“We’ve been part of Kansas City’s technology community for decades. From helping establish the KC Tech Council to our involvement with Google Fiber and the local startup community, we’ve always believed that being a leading technology law firm means doing more than just legal work. It means helping build the ecosystem,” Kratofil said.
That approach remains relevant as technology becomes increasingly important across the regional economy, Lowe said.
Polsinelli’s support for such initiatives as the KC Tech Council’s CEO Retreat and this week’s Energy & Data Center Innovation Summit helps bring business and technology leaders together around shared opportunities and challenges.
“That kind of sustained commitment to Kansas City’s success really matters,” Lowe said. “And we’re certainly not the only organization whose initiatives have been enabled by the role Polsinelli plays in this ecosystem.”
Tending local roots for national reach
As Kansas City’s technology community has matured, Polsinelli has expanded its own capabilities, building a national practice spanning intellectual property, technology transactions, data privacy, venture capital and emerging companies.
The firm recently earned a National Tier 1 ranking in Technology Law in the 2027 Best Law Firms rankings, recognition of its standing in an increasingly competitive legal sector.
Among its national clients is Hugging Face, the artificial intelligence platform that announced an agreement in September to be acquired by NVIDIA for roughly $12.9 billion. Polsinelli has represented Hugging Face since its early development and is advising the company in connection with the pending transaction.
Greg Kratofil, Polsinelli, shares a laugh with Dan Kerr, Flyover Capital, in between sessions at the 2025 MidxMidwest summit; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
For Kratofil, that national work illustrates how far the firm’s technology practice has come, while its continued investment in Kansas City reflects an enduring connection to the community.
“The bigger point is that we’re not just a national law firm that happens to have an office in Kansas City. We’ve been helping build this city’s technology ecosystem for decades while also building a national practice capable of representing some of the most innovative companies in the world,” he said.
Such commitment remains visible during November’s concentration of technology and entrepreneurship events. Polsinelli is supporting MidxMidwest, the KC Tech Council’s Energy & Data Center Innovation Summit and Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City, among other regional initiatives.
A GEWKC kick-off event — sponsored by Polsinelli and Busey Bank — is planned for 4:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16 at J. Rieger.
For Lowe, the value of these tech-focused gatherings extends beyond any individual event or sponsoring organization.
“At KC Tech Council, we see firsthand how valuable it is to get the right people in the room, whether that’s around entrepreneurship, emerging technologies or the future of our workforce,” she said.
That emphasis on connection reflects an opportunity for Kansas City: bringing its companies, talent and institutions together to create growth that reaches across the region.
Polsinelli sees itself continuing to contribute to that work, supporting emerging Kansas City companies while serving established technology businesses nationally.
“We have the experience and resources of a national technology law firm, but Kansas City is home,” Kratofil said. “We’re just as excited about helping the next great Kansas City technology company get started as we are about representing established innovators on the national stage.”
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