News Stories

Kansas City near last place among startup hubs for digital economy readiness

Kansas City’s poor performance in attracting talent and its limited access to investment capital puts it at a disadvantage for the forthcoming digital economy, a recent study found. The national “Innovation That Matters” study analyzed 25 large startup hubs’ readiness for the digital economy, noting that Kansas City has room for significant improvement with its…

Raise a glass to entrepreneurship during 1Week KC’s 5th anniversary

We honor all the best things in life — weddings, birthdays and Bar Mitzvahs to name a few  — why shouldn’t we celebrate entrepreneurship? In Kansas City, we have a day — or seven — for just that. 1Week KC, which aims to connect and celebrate area entrepreneurs through 10 events, will begin as any…

Swappa marketplace Ben Edwards

Swappa re-homes millions worth of smartphones

About 90 million Americans say they swap out their smartphone every two years, according to a 2015 Gallup study. That means every day about 123,000 used smartphones either find a new owner or a dark home in a drawer, frittering away their value. But one Kansas City startup is already helping thousands of used-smartphone owners…

Regional Roundup

Amazon’s delivery backlash and 800 robots descend on St. Louis

In this week’s roundup of watercooler talk from the region’s startup hubs, we have the dish on Amazon’s digital divide backpedaling, St. Louis’ international robotics competition and Denver’s vibrant city culture. Check out more in this series here.a ChicagoInno: Amid controversy, Amazon is finally bringing same-day delivery to the South Side And the backpedaling continues….

How Pipeline CEO Joni Cobb revitalized her waning democratic optimism

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone.   E=R. Have you seen this sticker on cars over the years? It’s the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s campaign during the Great Recession, meaning “Entrepreneurship = Recovery.” It was really a time of “push” for our political structure — and our communities in…