KC Tech Council

KCMO mayoral candidates Quinton Lucas and Jolie Justus

Startup advocates to next mayor: Make KC more attractive to tech talent, women, innovation

Months of candidate forums are complete. The door bells have been rung. Selfies taken. As the Kansas City mayor’s race heads to the polls Tuesday, the candidates are all business when it comes to courting the startup community’s vote. Jolie Justus — who has branded herself as the next “neighborhood mayor” — and Quinton Lucas…

Chris Olsen, Drive Capital, KC Tech Council CEO Retreat

Elite investors at exclusive CEO retreat: Don’t waste time; sell us on your billion-dollar idea

Trying to land the backing of a venture capital firm? Throw your pitch deck out the window, Chris Olsen advised a select group of Kansas City CEOs. “A lot of times founders will come and give us their pitch and they’ll start going through it and [they’re telling us] they’re profitable in 18-months. And we’ll…

Jay Walder, Virgin Hyperloop One

How could high-speed, cross-state travel boost Missouri? Hyperloop CEO has three words for KC

Hyperloop One could be gliding down its interchangeable tracks within the next decade, CEO Jay Walder estimated. But is the mystical mass transit system any closer to finding its home, questioned an audience gathered Wednesday for the KC Tech Council CEO speaker series sponsored by RSM and hosted by WeWork.  “What if I told you…

Prime Digital Academy

Prime Digital Academy pledges $20K in scholarships to boost inclusion in KC tech

A coding boot camp that freshly arrived in Kansas City this winter plans to underwrite $20,000 in scholarships specifically for individuals who are part of demographics underrepresented in the coding profession, said Rachael Bromander. “At a time in the market where tech talent is scarce and growth is booming, programs like Prime represent a way…

Ryan Weber, KC Tech Council

Federal data privacy laws are coming; Here’s what you should consider

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Ryan Weber, KC Tech Council president, on Tuesday testified before a U.S. Senate subcommittee on “Small Business Perspectives on a Federal Data Privacy Framework.” I recently had the privilege of testifying before a U.S. Senate Subcommittee, chaired by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas,…