RECAP: 1 Million Cups panel offers decision-making advice

By Tommy Felts / June 3, 2015

Three entrepreneurs took the stage at 1 Million Cups this week to offer advice on navigating the tough world of entrepreneurship. Alex Altomare, co-founder of BetaBlox, Linda Buchner, co-founder and president of Minddrive, and Ben Kittrell, co-founder and CTO of Doodlekit, all spoke about the variety of hard choices entrepreneurs face. On handling tough decisions……

Think accounting: 3 ways to drive your accountant insane

By Tommy Felts / May 28, 2015

In this Think column, Emerging Business CFO founder Dan Schmidt shares three ways to drive him, and other accountants, crazy. The Think column helps entrepreneurs to stop and think about the various aspects of starting and running a business. Accountant and finance professionals are generally known to be level-headed clear thinkers, able to ride the crests of emotion…

6 ways to be a startup community hero (for non-entrepreneurs)

By Tommy Felts / May 27, 2015

Melissa Roberts, marketing director of the Enterprise Center of Johnson County, shares how those interested in helping the startup community can effectively engage entrepreneurs.  In my work at an entrepreneurial service non-profit in Kansas City, I get to meet many passionate, community-minded people each day. Often, those people have no connection to our startup community, other than…

Think savings: Apps to save time, money

By Tommy Felts / May 21, 2015

In this Think column, Virtual BeanCounters founder Tim Sernett shares his favorite apps that can save your business time and money. The Think column helps entrepreneurs to stop and think about the various aspects of starting and running a business. Read Venture Legal founder Chris Brown’s piece on hiring contractors or employees here. Invoices, expense reports, monthly…

Former Kauffman Foundation VP on how to scale via networking

By Tommy Felts / May 20, 2015

With more than 25 years of leadership experience, Lesa Mitchell knows a thing or two about making — and fostering — valuable connections. Previously the vice president of innovation at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and a former executive at Marion Labs, Mitchell now is the founder of Networks for Scale, a company that works…

Schukman: 5 reasons why KC is the capital of social entrepreneurship

By Tommy Felts / May 18, 2015

Take a walk in Kansas City’s startup scene and you’ll quickly hear something about KC’s devotion to becoming America’s most entrepreneurial city. This mantra is on everyone’s lips, from city leaders to corporate tycoons to scrappy startup founders. It’s amazing that in five years our city has created such clarity of purpose that millenials populating…

C2FO CEO Sandy Kemper talks failure, VCs, maximizing time

By Tommy Felts / May 14, 2015

From a Kansas City arena to the founders of one of the nation’s largest financial institutions, the Kemper name is well known in Kansas City. But it’s more than just Sandy Kemper’s name that drew a sold out crowd at Kansas City’s May Startup Grind event. Kemper leads one of Kansas City’s fastest growing companies…

Think hiring: Employees vs. contractors

By Tommy Felts / May 14, 2015

In this Think column, Venture Legal founder Chris Brown explores the dynamics a growing company faces when it needs to hire an extra set of hands. The Think column helps entrepreneurs to stop and think about the various aspects of starting and running a business. Read ThinkViral President Anne Cull’s introduction to the series here.  You’ve started a company, closed…

ThinkViral founder: Reflection a key to achieve success

By Tommy Felts / May 7, 2015

Welcome to the ‘Think’ column, a series aimed at helping entrepreneurs stop and think about the various aspects of starting and running a business. This week, ThinkViral President Anne Cull introduces the column and emphasizes why pointed reflection on lessons learned is central to a successful business strategy. ThinkViral is a full service social media…

Founder of defunct Symptomly shares lessons from failure

By Tommy Felts / May 7, 2015

Failure is a touchy subject. But for Derek Bereit — the former CEO and co-founder of mobile asthma tracking company Symptomly — his company’s failure was an opportunity shrouded in a difficult situation. Rather than sulking, Bereit sat down with Startland News to discuss Symptomly’s demise, the lessons it provided him and the possibilities that…

Founders discuss tough decisions entrepreneurs face

By Tommy Felts / May 6, 2015

Two founders took the stage at Kansas City’s chapter of 1 Million Cups to discuss the vast variety of tough decisions entrepreneurs face when starting and running a business. Stuart Ludlow, co-founder of RFP 365 and Sarah Shipley, co-founder of BikeWalkKC, offered insights and advice for those launching a business. Read about RFP365’s recent funding…

KC’s first innovation officer reflects on work, city’s tech future

By Tommy Felts / May 5, 2015

After more than two years of service, Ashley Hand is leaving the driver’s seat of Kansas City’s innovation efforts. Hand, who soon will be departing as Kansas City’s chief innovation officer, was tasked with implementing innovative strategies to improve how city government can better serve Kansas Citians. The city will be accepting applications for the…

Former Sprint COO LeMay dishes on KC capital, failure

By Tommy Felts / May 1, 2015

There are few people in Kansas City more connected into the area’s investor, corporate and startup community than FarmLink CEO Ron LeMay. Also now managing director of Kansas City-based OpenAir Equity Partners, LeMay frequently sees the successes and failures of the metro area’s capital landscape. The former Sprint COO recently spoke with dozens of Kansas…

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