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
Lean Lab leaders dissect recent politics spurring U.S. education engagement
Editor’s note: In partnership with the Wide Ruled podcast hosted by Brainroot Light and Sound, Startland News hopes to offer its audience more avenues to learn about innovators in Kansas City. Opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Wide Ruled is a podcast on equality in education. Each episode showcases a struggle or…
Williams to critical Bloomberg piece: KC shouldn’t try to be Silicon Valley
Editor’s note: The following piece is in response to a Bloomberg article critical of the Kansas City Startup Village and Kansas City’s ability to use Google Fiber to become the “next Silicon Valley.” Opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. In 2012, Kansas City experienced what at the time must have felt like winning…
KC Outpost, local charm lures hundreds of SXSW attendees
Kansas City made a splash at the SXSW Conference thanks to a concerted effort to engage thousands mingling in downtown Austin. Led by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, LaunchKC, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Husch Blackwell, the KC Outpost welcomed hundreds of people curious to learn more about the area. Featuring speakers,…
Integrated Roadways founder featured on CNN as autonomous vehicle expert
A Kansas City startup founder recently was featured on CNN as an industry expert for his knowledge on autonomous vehicles and the infrastructure that can support them. After being discovered via a weekend panel discussion at the SXSW Conference, Integrated Roadways founder Tim Sylvester recently was hosted on CNN’s Quest Means Money show. Sylvester’s startup…