Corporate Stories

Toby Rush, Zoloz, Ant Financial

Toby Rush on emerging blockchain: Layers of trust slowly building behind the scenes

Much like companies’ web pages in the mid-1990s, blockchain isn’t yet consumer-ready, said Toby Rush. “But [development is] going to move at an accelerated pace,” said Rush, CEO of Zoloz and senior director of international technology investments at Ant Financial. “We’re over 20 years later from ’96, and I think you’ll see [blockchain] move and…

Jeff Jones, H&R Block

H&R Block must reconnect with startup energy, innovation, CEO Jeff Jones says

Jeff Jones’ journey to Kansas City — winding through hangouts with popstar Justin Timberlake, dinner with Oprah, and a stint driving one of the world’s most dominant sharing economy companies — has been transformative, the H&R Block CEO said. And if the homegrown corporate juggernaut he now leads is to meet its stretch potential, the…

Ben Morss, Google

From Cake to Google: Musician-turned-tech leader composes career between keyboards

Well into a music career — but noticing friends who were still trying to find gigs to make ends meet — Ben Morss faced a life-altering pivot. “I got sick of it and I turned to programming full time,” said Morss, a developer advocate at Google. “As a musician, I was trying to call people…

Missouri Hyperloop

Talent pipeline: Missouri Hyperloop could be a light at the end of the tech jobs tunnel

A high-speed Missouri Hyperloop route connecting Kansas City and St. Louis would power a state-spanning metro area with fluid access to tech jobs and talent, as well as a region pumped for economic growth, leaders familiar with the proposed project said. “You could easily live in St. Louis and work in Kansas City, and have…

Privacy in practice: Responding to daily cyber threats sharpens Polsinelli tech team

Editor’s note: The following content is sponsored by Polsinelli PC but independently produced by Startland News. We see the fallout nearly every day. Another company, government or celebrity that’s been technologically compromised, prompting officials to scramble on how to best calm customers, citizens and stakeholders. And when you lead one of the nation’s top cybersecurity…