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.
April Boyd-Noronha: 6 steps to ‘flip the script’ on women in STEM
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Next week, my oldest daughter will embark on the next level of her STEM journey — the college level. She has chosen to pursue a major in cybersecurity this fall. As a STEM parent, I’m filled with mixed emotions related to the recent…
Arredondo: Serendipity, passion collide to form the KC Startup Foundation
I’m not going to lie. It’s been a heckuva ride. Who could have imagined the Kansas City Startup Village’s serendipitous start in Fall 2012 would turn into all this? Not me. I vividly remember the nights Matthew Marcus and I were awake at 2 a.m., trying to keep up with the flood of emails from…
Affinity Worldwide CEO hopes $1M gift to Kansas City Startup Foundation spurs more community giving
Editor’s note: Michael Wrenn previously was the owner of Startland News and its parent organization, the Center for Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development (CEED). I’m a big believer in counting blessings and doing my small part to give back. My wife, Becky Cole, CFO of Affinity Worldwide, is of the same mindset. We’ve enjoyed success over the…
Denise Kruse: So your startup has a strategy — now what?
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Strategy. Strategic plan. Go-to-market. Blueprint. Tactics. Startup innovators probably have heard an exhaustive list of synonyms and buzzwords. I’ve seen them all as a business leader for more than 30 years, helping companies define their strategy or execute on it. And there’s good reason…
In swan song, departing innovation official Kate Garman reflects on tenure with KCMO
Editor’s note: Kate Garman is the KCMO innovation analyst but will be departing this week for a new opportunity in Seattle. She wrote the following piece reflecting on her time with the city. I’ve had a desk at Kansas City Hall now for three years. Starting as an intern, and later joining the staff as…
Callie England opens up on why she stepped down from Rawxies
Editor’s note: The following piece by Callie England sheds light on why she stepped down as CEO of the vegan snack company Rawxies. It contains explicit language. The other day I found myself frozen in panic; what the fuck just happened!? And when I say “just happened” I’m referring to the past six years: From the moment…