Drones, fashion, parties, more in Techweek queue
August 26, 2015 | Bobby Burch
Techweek Kansas City released its full schedule Wednesday, revealing a jam-packed agenda with a variety of tech-oriented events to connect and inspire.
The tech conference — which will be in Kansas City from Sept. 14 to Sept. 19 — will feature more than 40 events around the Kansas City area. Ranging from chats on drones and 3-D printing to a tech fashion show and hackathon, Techweek’s array of events hopes to engage more than just technologists in Kansas City, CEO Katy Lynch said. Techweek organizers are expecting upwards of 5,000 attendees.
Billed as a South-by-Southwest style celebration of tech entrepreneurship, Techweek has partnered with LaunchKC to present a grant competition and pitch contest. LaunchKC, which recently just announced 100 semifinalists, is an initiative to attract 10 tech firms to relocate to Kansas City with $50,000 grants.
Techweek also will feature several tech speakers, including:
- Jonathan Badeen, co-founder of Tinder
- Jim McKelvey, co-founder of Square
- Anand Sanwal, CEO of CB Insights
- Kristin Smith, CEO of Code Fellows
- John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing
- John Fein, managing director of Techstars
- Boland Jones, CEO of PGi
- Chris Jeffrey, CEO of OrderUp
- Teffanie Stanard, CEO of MENT
- Blake Miller, a partner at Think Big Partners
- Claude Aldridge, CEO of Trellie
- Patrick Stuart, senior product manager at Skycatch

2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
We Create KC report: Half of top VC-backed companies tapped early-stage support
In 2018, 50 percent of the top venture capital-funded companies in Kansas City got their start with early-stage investment programs that emerged after 2012, according to We Create KC 2019, KCSourceLink’s sixth annual state of entrepreneurship report. “That high percentage shows us how important these early-stage investment programs are to our entrepreneurs and our ecosystem,”…
KCultivator Q&A: Jonathan Bender boils down his talents to curate KC food scene
Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The KCultivator Series is sponsored by Plexpod, a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes. He’s mastered the art of pairing the perfect cookie with the crispest…
Time to see green: 3 startups spring into Digital Sandbox KC proof-of-concept program
The path from concept to commercialization has three reinvigorated travelers this spring, Jeff Shackelford said Thursday, announcing the latest early-stage entrepreneurs to join Digital Sandbox KC. The program’s newly joined startups include a tech-driven legal solution and two companies using artificial intelligence to innovate their industries, said Shackelford, executive director of Digital Sandbox KC. “As…
Zenernet defying the status quo, taking on industry giants with OP-fueled solar startup
Overland Park-based Zenernet is soaking in renewed interest in solar, powering its push to become an industry player on the national stage, said JP Gerken. “The growth potential [for solar] is endless,” said Gerken, founder of solar power service provider Zenernet. “I think we’ve barely scratched the surface on what the potential is with residential…
