Latest Stories
KCMO reveals seven innovation partners and inaugural demo day
Mayor Sly James on Tuesday announced seven partners for the 2016 Innovation Partnership Program and the program’s new accelerator-like approach. Now in its second year, the IPP provides select startups with city data and infrastructure at no cost and the opportunity to develop, test and demonstrate innovative solutions for the city. For the first time, the…
With traction in tow, Super Dispatch is a model ‘lean startup’
Super Dispatch began like every tech startup: with a good idea. But as founder Bek Abdullayev will tell you, it takes more than that to be successful. In 2013, Abdullayev founded Super Dispatch, a software-as-a-service platform for the trucking industry intended to eliminate paperwork. Super Dispatch streamlines the communication of documents between truckers and their…
‘Makerspace in the ‘Hood’ wants to smother poverty and crime with creativity
Every successful entrepreneur is born with a seed of opportunity. It is impossible for one person to be successful on their own; whether you extend gratitude to your family for their support, your university for its resources, or the angel investor who believed in you when nobody else did. Now imagine you grew up in…
Pipeline Entrepreneurs accepting applicants for 2017 fellowship
Ahead of its first adventure abroad, Pipeline Entrepreneurs is accepting applications for its fellowship program that not only affords entrepreneurial education but also a network of powerful business leaders. The 2017 class will mark the organization’s 11th-annual program in which Pipeline accepts at least 10 entrepreneurs from the around the region to participate in a…
KC-made card game Mixtape makes a ‘soundtrack for your life’
If your life was a movie, what song would you play in the background? A fast paced techno montage? A jazzy love story? Perhaps a dreary ballad? Regardless of the tune, music is intimately connected with the special moments in life, according to Joel Johnson, who’s set out to prove that with Mixtape, a board…
Shaping the sharing economy: Women in coworking
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. High-growth, share-based startups — like Airbnb and Uber — are transforming the hospitality and transportation industries. The sharing economy is also fundamentally changing how people work. From corporate professionals to entrepreneurs, coworking is rapidly becoming a viable alternative to offices and cubicles….
Ryan Weber: KC’s proposed ride-sharing rules should concern local tech firms
Editor’s note: The public comment period on Kansas City’s proposed ride-sharing regulations has now ended, prompting the city’s regulated industries division to submit its recommendations to the Kansas City Council. By directive of the council, city officials have reviewed current laws and culled public input on new, proposed changes, which at this point focus largely…
Events Preview: Most Likely to Succeed Screening
There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW The Marketing Series: Brand Resiliency When: August 31 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm Where: Sprint Accelerator Creating a brand isn’t easy,…
Entrepreneurs to disrupt KC’s divisions with unifying banner
The Kansas City metro area is one rife with borders. Geographically, it’s cut in half by a river that runs west and east. Economically, there’s a state border that runs north and south. Racially, Kansas City is divided by Troost Ave. Collegiately, the University of Missouri spars with the University of Kansas in a rivalry whose…
Kauffman Foundation: KC makes huge ‘startup activity’ improvement
If cities could win “most-improved” awards, Kansas City would be taking home a silver medal this year — at least as far as startup growth goes. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation on Thursday released its “Startup Activity Index” for states and metros. This year, Kansas City climbed a whopping 11 places from 29 to 18,…
