Melissa Roberts
Local entrepreneurs prompt court to hit pause on Kansas ‘patent troll’ rules
A U.S. District Court of Kansas is collecting more public input on proposed legal rule changes after area entrepreneurs expressed concerns that the measures could make the area a haven for “patent trolls.” Patent trolls are non-practicing entities that purchase broadly defined patents with the intention to sue growing companies that are developing tangentially related…
Roberts: Court action to make KC a patent troll haven will squash innovation
Editor’s note: Melissa Roberts is urging the Kansas City business community to sign a petition that aims to halt an effort to establish Kansas City as an area friendly to “patent trolls.” The commenting period on the proposed changes closes 5 p.m., Nov. 26. The opinions in the commentary are the author’s alone. I used…
Melissa Roberts on what the Kansas budget crunch means for area startups
The opinions expressed in the commentary are the author’s alone. Kansas is in the midst of a budget crunch of epic proportions — and we all know how and why we got here and who led the charge. We’ve finally reached the moment when all of our dirty jeans’ pockets have been turned out,…
Rep. Kevin Yoder talks challenges with KC entrepreneurs
U.S. House Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kansas, told a group of Kansas City entrepreneurs Thursday that he has their interests at heart when he heads back to Washington D.C. in September. Speaking at the Enterprise Center in Johnson County as part of Startup Day Across America, Yoder said that he aims to make sure entrepreneurs in…
Kansas angel tax credits signed into law
Months of hard work by Kansas City entrepreneurs has paid off. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback on Wednesday signed an extension of the Angel Investor Tax Credits into law, preserving what supporters say is the state’s only financial incitive specifically for startups. The law goes into effect on July 1, 2016. Kansas Senate Bill 149 will…
