Latest Stories
Startup Weekend returns to Kansas City in June
People often ruminate for years on a startup idea, calculating risk, analyzing a market and perfecting a pitch. With Startup Weekend, that course of contemplative construction is distilled into 48 hours of ideation, iteration and presentation. And after a year hiatus, the event is returning to Kansas City for wild weekend of founding fury. Startup…
Digital Sandbox taps K-State Olathe for office space
The partnership between Digital Sandbox KC and the City of Olathe, Kan. is now a bit stronger. Companies funded out of the Olathe program will now have access to an office and coworking space via the Kansas State University Olathe campus, located at 22201 W. Innovation Dr., Olathe, Kansas. “We’re constantly working to break down…
A coworking studio for artists, InterUrban ArtHouse to open in Overland Park
A new coworking and community space for artists is coming to the Kansas City area. Scheduled to open June 15 in Overland Park, the nearly 10,000 square-foot InterUrban ArtHouse is revamping a post office to become a shared space for 20 to 40 artists. The nonprofit is piggybacking on a popular trend in the metro…
Events Preview: Innovation Exchange, the Sales Series and April Tech Talk
There are a plethora of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter, or curious community member — we recommend these upcoming events for you. Are you hosting a relevant community event? Feel free to add it to the FWD/KC calendar for increased exposure. Once your event…
With data pouring in, leaders discuss what’s next for the Smart City
As Kansas City’s Smart City initiative wraps up its first phase, advisory board members on Monday began looking to the future of the public-private project. Since the initiative’s launch in 2016, the City of Kansas City, Mo. has established itself as a leader in smart city infrastructure, KCMO innovation analyst Kate Garman said. But while…
Athlete Network adds hall-of-famer Warren Moon to its roster
It’s not everyday that you add a hall-of-fame quarterback to your team. In establishing a new, high-impact advisory board, Athlete Network has landed former NFL superstar Warren Moon as a team member that will help guide the startup moving forward. Moon previously played for the Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings and other pro teams, racking up…
2017 Sprint Accelerator class makes its KC introductions at 1 Million Cups
Less than two weeks into the program, the 2017 Sprint Accelerator cohort introduced themselves to the community on Wednesday at 1 Million Cups. The accelerator recently welcomed seven startups representing its two tracks — ag tech and digital — that arrives from all around the country. Hailing from states like Texas, New York, Florida, Georgia…
New book on Gen Z workforce taps Blue Valley CAPS
A book dissecting the behaviors of “Generation Z” entering the workforce has featured a Kansas City-area education program for its innovative model. Written by David and Jonah Stillman and published in March, Gen Z @ Work highlighted the Blue Valley Center for Advanced Professional Studies as a model that’s better preparing students for an evolving…
Kauffman exec departs for leadership role at Startup Genome
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s vice president of research and policy is departing the organization for a San Francisco-based firm focused on startup ecosystem research. A 12-year veteran at the Kansas City-based foundation, Dane Stangler is now the head of policy at Startup Genome, a company that researches ecosystems and advises policymakers to increase the…
Does KC deserve a high rank for women in tech? 3 female techies reflect
For three consecutive years, Kansas City has maintained its ranking as the second-best metro for women in technology. In addition to being one of only three cities without a gender pay gap, Kansas City scored high marks for its relatively high ratio of tech jobs filled by women, according to the study conducted by SmartAsset….
















