Explore perspectives on the issues impacting business in Kansas City.
Hear from local entrepreneurs, innovators and community leaders as they share insights and commentary on topics impacting business and innovation.
The TAM Scam: Why the next economy won’t need your pitch deck’s market-size slide
For most of modern business history, directly observing economic activity was slow, expensive, or impossible. We developed proxies to compress uncertainty into numbers that executives, lenders, and investors could use. But as technology makes economic activity more observable, the proxies we built for an earlier era become harder to defend.
I was wrong about sports: Why KC’s ‘escape velocity’ keeps pointing back to 18th and Vine
Sports, music, and barbecue are not three separate Kansas City brands, writes urbanist and entrepreneur Kemet Coleman. “They are one story, and it starts at 18th and Vine,” the Vine Street Brewing co-founder explained.
300 pitches later, GIFT founder offers a cheat sheet for selling your vision (hint: it starts with the pitch deck)
“What does your business do? Tell me directly, clearly, and avoid unnecessary fluff,” writes Brandon Calloway in an open letter to entrepreneurs. “As someone making a snap judgment about your business, I need to quickly understand what it offers.”
Smart glasses at work: How employers using (or banning) the tech could face legal challenges
AI-enabled smart glasses take a step further than the traditional “body camera” surveillance footage, given the technology’s ability to retain and assess information, such as biometric information. That creates new concerns for employers who might want to implement the devices — or even keep them out of the workplace altogether, writes a team of attorneys from Polsinelli.
Missouri founders need rules for crypto, digital assets that protect infrastructure and consumers, advocate says
Congress should act quickly, writes Ryan Wright. If the United States waits too long, other countries will continue setting the standards for digital assets, AI provenance, and the next generation of financial infrastructure. Missouri should not be left reacting to that future. We should help build it.
Royals chose Crown Center; KC now must decide how 18th & Vine stays in the game
The Royals ballpark announcement was still eye-opening, because moments like this reveal what a city is actually willing to organize itself around, writes Kemet Coleman.
How can 90 days fix 18 months of revenue? Make trust and consistency your currency
Many leaders start buying marketing the same way they buy any other solution .. one need at a time. It’s not uncommon for one company to have a web vendor, a PR partner, a graphic designer, an email vendor, and so on. The hire is based on need, not strategy; and the real cost shows up in places most leadership teams don’t calculate.
An entrepreneur’s confession: Being a stay-at-home dad is the manliest thing I’ve ever done
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. I am the man! Women stay at home and care for the children. Men are the breadwinners. Throughout history, that has been the societal norm. Women take care of home and men are the providers. From the hunter-gather period, until modern times —…
Pathways to inclusive prosperity: Racial and economic disparity impact all of Kansas City
Editor’s note: The following is excerpted from opening remarks by David Warm, executive director of the Mid-America Regional Council, at the 9th Annual Greater Kansas City Education and Workforce Summit, which assembled more than 150 education, workforce, civic and business leaders to explore expanding pathways to inclusive prosperity. The summit was hosted by Ewing Marion…
Victor Hwang’s parting message to Kauffman, KC and beyond: ‘We make a powerful tribe’
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Victor Hwang is the outgoing vice president of entrepreneurship at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Click here to read more about his planned departure from the leading ecosystem building organization. Today is my last day in the office, as I transition out of…
Before signing the lease: Examine your startup’s culture, protect against surprises
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Ryan Biery, SIOR, is senior vice president of brokerage at Copaken Brooks, a commercial real estate agency in Kansas City. That moment when they hand you the keys. That’s a good moment for your startup or small business. It’s a sense of excitement,…
Wrap up: Miss FUND Conference Kansas City? Don’t forget to craft your narrative
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Brandon Warrington is an attorney at Husch Blackwell in Omaha. This op-ed is sponsored by Husch Blackwell. Kansas City’s inaugural FUND Conference buzzed with startups and emerging companies, from social ventures still in the ideation phase to companies having just finished their Series…
The secret’s almost out: Why you should start a business in KC before it becomes cool
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Ed Wilson and Kenyon Briggs are attorneys at Husch Blackwell in Kansas City. This op-ed is sponsored by Husch Blackwell. Silicon Valley has been known as America’s premier innovation capital for decades. Between easy access to funding, a strong entrepreneurial network, and a…