Digital Sandbox helps entrepreneurs fight summer slump
June 16, 2015 | Abby Tillman
With summer knocking at the door, Digital Sandbox KC is taking initiative to provide resources and instruction to keep entrepreneurs engaged and on-point.
Digital Sandbox, a proof-of-concept program that expedites area businesses’ projects, will host the third-annual “Summer in the Sand Series” as a way of prompting discussion around relevant topics for entrepreneurs.
“The Summer in the Sand Series is a dynamic way to engage the startup community and provide relevant and valuable educational support,” Digital Sandbox Director Jeff Shackelford said in a release. “We will bring experts, experienced business owners and investors who can address the specific needs of the entrepreneurial community.”
Digital Sandbox’s summer series will include four events, each held at the Sprint Accelerator, starting at 3:00 p.m.
- June 24 – Maria Meyers of KCSourceLink will speak about the funding landscape in Kansas City and will explore funding mechanisms available to early-stage companies in the local startup community.
- July 15 – Digital Sandbox’s Shackelford will advise entrepreneurs on how to make effective pitches.
- August 19 – A panel of successful business owners in Kansas City — including Stuart Ludlow of RFP365, Danny O’Neill of The Roasterie, and Babir Sultan of Royal Loyal — will review creative ways of achieving early customer acquisition.
- September 16 – A lineup of angel investors will discuss what they look for when making capital investment decisions. The panelists include Tom DeBacco of Flyover Capital, Lance LeMay of OpenAir Equity Partners, Jill Meyer of the UMKC Small Business Technology Development Center, and Rick Vaughn of Mid-America Angels.
Since its inception in 2013, Digital Sandbox has helped create 23 new businesses, 181 new jobs and its businesses have received $17.7 million in follow-on funding.
“This [series] is another way to connect valuable resources and to strengthen the ecosystem that makes Kansas City a great place to start a business,” Shackelford said.
Registration for the Summer in the Sand series is now open and is required for admission.
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Entrepreneur, startup advocate becomes new KC Chamber chair
A prominent Kansas City entrepreneur with some serious startup chops is now serving as the new chair of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Matt Condon, CEO of Bardavon Health Innovations and ARC Physical Therapy, was unanimously voted to serve at the helm of the chamber’s board of directors as its chairman. Condon, 42,…
Video: Healthy workplace culture begins with intention, communication
Editor’s note: This content was sponsored by Mid-Continent Public Library but independently produced by Startland News. Creating a healthy workplace culture must be done early and with intention, said Adrienne Haynes and Dwayne Lewis. To help startups develop a strategic human resource plan, Haynes, managing partner of SEED Law, and Dwayne Lewis, president of Lewis…
From Google to KC, Beth Ellyn McClendon’s advice to startups: Test everything
Don’t fall in love with an idea, Beth Ellyn McClendon said. “Test everything, especially your assumptions, and allow yourself to be persuaded by data,” said McClendon, a seed investor who formerly worked with Google, Android, YouTube, Cisco and Netscape. “Try to remember — tattoo it on your eyelids if you have to – anecdotes are not…
Bodyrite duo cooks meal prep into personal training concept
Don’t just go with the flow at a traditional gym, Jamil Nelson said. Go with Flo. “Treadmills and ellipticals are pretty archaic to us,” said Nelson — or “Mr. Bodyrite” to his wife, Florese. “A jump rope is way better because it’s going to blow up your heart rate.” Modern workouts are all about functional,…