Kansas City seeks leaders for Smart City board
May 28, 2015 | Bobby Burch
The City of Kansas City, Mo., is now seeking nominations to lead the city’s smart city efforts.
City leaders hope to attract citizens with experience in smart city technologies to help advise the City of Fountain’s coming Cisco Smart City project, in addition to its other smart city efforts.
The newly authorized “Smart City Advisory Board” will help the city establish best-practice policies for smart city applications, which combine a communications and data network to make the city more efficient. To nominate a citizen for the smart city board, click here.
Cisco and Kansas City announced in May of 2014 that the two would partner to create North America’s largest smart city project. The public-private initiative will turn Kansas City’s downtown into a “living lab” of connectivity that will gain insights on the city’s traffic, public safety, coming streetcar line and more. The project in total will cost about $15 million, according to the Kansas City Business Journal.
Business incubator and coworking space Think Big Partners plans to act as a “development portal” manager for the project, allowing area entrepreneurs to access Smart City data. Kansas City Mayor Sly James previously challenged startups and entrepreneurs in the area to develop solutions to improve the city, including its water system.
Featured Business

2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
They could’ve cracked into any industry; Why this dynamic team paired its talents with snacks
A local foodie’s quest to recreate her favorite discontinued cracker led a trio of longtime friends to build their own company, serving up specialty appetizer kits that customers are savoring in Kansas City and beyond. Crackerology produces shelf-stable, gourmet appetizer and dessert kits featuring made-from-scratch crackers and cookies that can be assembled in minutes. “Yes,…
World Cup is coming to KC (and so are the asks): How leaders must boost the region before 2026
Kansas City is steadily growing and evolving, said Neal Sharma, making it more important than ever to engage at the community level to tackle challenges and secure opportunities facing the region. That’s especially true as Kansas City prepares for the 2026 World Cup, echoed fellow leaders who spoke Thursday at KC Rising’s Horizon 2023 event.…
Wholesale to wholesome: This rural Kansas soapery wants you (and your dog) to feel good in your own skin
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures (EGV), a business unit of NetWork Kansas supporting innovative, high-growth entrepreneurs in the State of Kansas. PAOLA — Buying Fire Lake…
