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Bob Specht: How Kansas City actually becomes a startup city

Editor’s note: This post was originally published on medium.com. Opinions expressed in the commentary are the author’s alone.  With growth in our Kansas City startup community, questions continuously come of “what next?” What do we need to keep growing? “Funding” is usually what you’ll hear yelled, but I’m not so convinced. I believe improving in…

Chris Brown: How to split equity in your startup

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. This article is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Readers with legal questions should consult an attorney. When founding a new startup it is common to have disagreements over how much equity each founder should receive. In this post, we will…

Sustainable apartments in KC’s River Market will be among the world’s largest ‘passive houses’

The future of sustainable real estate development may be taking shape in Kansas City. The $60 million, 276-unit Second and Delaware project aims to not only be one of most environmentally conscious residential buildings but also a global example in sustainable housing, said Jonathan Arnold, CEO of Arnold Development Group. The Arnold Development Group along…

Idle Smart founder Jeff Lynch shares three lessons from an accelerator

I’ve been aware of accelerators for some time, but honestly never really thought of them for Idle Smart. We were so heads down trying to grow our own company that I didn’t really have time to learn about the advantages of a quality accelerator. Earlier this summer, however, we were connected to Village Capital through…

Victor Hwang, city leaders challenge the area’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

In partnership with Think Big Partners, the Innovation Exchange offers Kansas Citians context and behind-the-scenes details on newsmakers in the area entrepreneurial ecosystem. This month, area leaders — including the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s vice president of entrepreneurship Victor Hwang — discussed what’s on the horizon for Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. If you missed the…

Seven local tech startups bring their innovations to KCMO

After 12 weeks of civic innovation, Kansas City’s Innovation Partnership Program culminated Tuesday with a demo day showcasing its seven participating startups. Launched in 2015, IPP pairs area startups with a department in the City of Kansas City, Mo. to not only identify new efficiencies but also offer the firm a chance to earn business…

Built on speed, grown through community: The Kansas City Startup Village marks 4 years

Editor’s note: St. Louis-based magazine EQ invited Startland News to write a feature story about one of the Kansas City’s innovation districts, Kansas City Startup Village, on the heels of its fourth anniversary. This story was originally published in EQ. As many entrepreneurs can attest, inspiration strikes anytime — including a late Sunday night. “This is going…

Startland’s 2016 made-in-Kansas-City tech gift guide

Startland News and the Kansas City Star have partnered to publish content as part of the Star’s special section, “Spirit.” This story will appear in the Star’s Dec. 18 Sunday edition. With its tech chops expanding like Kris Kringle’s waistline, Kansas City’s startups are starting to resemble the North Pole’s elves in their ability to…

Kauffman to host national summit on how to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem

A national summit on how to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem is coming to Kansas City. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation announced Wednesday that it will host the national ESHIP Summit in June of 2017. The invite-only ESHIP Summit will bring together entrepreneurial ecosystem builders, allies and stakeholders from across the nation to collaborate for an economic…

Events Preview: Chat with Victor Hwang, Municipal Innovation

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. Weekly Events Preview Innovation Exchange When: Dec. 14, 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Where: Think Big Coworking Rarely are all the facts…