KC Tech Council

Ian Whitehill

KC Tech Council program preps veterans to face new battle: Kansas City’s workforce

Ian Whitehill went from military deployment to software bootcamp, waging a new career as a software engineering technologist at Lenexa-based Genuen thanks to KC Tech Council’s emerging apprenticeship program. “I always wanted to do something where I felt like I was contributing to society and the world around me. When I heard about the opportunity…

Technology2030 Report, Missouri Chamber

MO tech jobs pay double the state’s average wage, fueling economic growth, new report says

Missouri’s tech industry remains a driving economic force despite widespread job loss and economic turmoil caused by COVID-19, according to a new report that details how the Show Me State is outpacing national tech growth. Among the report’s key takeaways: Average earnings for all jobs in Missouri was $64,000 in 2020, while the average earnings of…

Photo courtesy of WeWork Lightwell

‘Resilient’ KC keeps adding jobs: How local tech companies can retain top talent amid hiring frenzy

Kansas City is adding tech jobs at a rapid pace, Kara Lowe said, but local companies would be wise to remember they aren’t the only ones hiring as the workforce redefines the geography of and need for high-density tech hubs. “Say you’re casting a wide net to catch top talent outside of Kansas city —…

Ian Ross and Basel Bataineh, Somera Road

Reimagined Lightwell ready to take innovation hub mantle as KC’s tech talent return to the office

A steady stream of foot traffic flows beneath the Lightwell building’s signature feature — a winding overhead natural light design that spans nearly a city block — as employees returning to the workplace help the iconic downtown Kansas City landmark assume its new identity: 21st century innovation hub.  “A lot of people will talk about…

Missouri state Rep. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit, being sworn into his fourth and final term in the state legislature, January 2021

First-ever ‘Right to Start Act’ would ban non-competes, establish Missouri Office of Entrepreneurship

Newly filed legislation in Missouri would give a boost to Show-Me State entrepreneurs — or at least spark a robust conversation about how policy can support new business and hiring growth, said Travis Fitzwater. “Missourians have a right to start a company and the state should be encouraging that behavior,” said state Rep. Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit,…