Techweek makes intro to Kansas City
August 18, 2015 | Bobby Burch
It only seems fitting that bass-thumping techno music would introduce Kansas City’s most anticipated technology conference.
National tech conference Techweek — which will be in Kansas City from Sept. 14 to Sept. 20 — made its official introduction into the Kansas City community Monday evening with a party at the Sprint Accelerator. After arriving in Kansas City only six hours earlier, Techweek CEO Katy Lynch welcomed more than 100 people at the event, which featured an array of technologists, entrepreneurs and other businesspeople.
Lynch said that her brief time in Kansas City has already been welcoming and fruitful.
“It’s been wonderful,” Lynch told Startland News. “The people here are so welcoming and so friendly; there’s a lot of enthusiasm and charisma. Hearing people’s stories has been great and everyone is so collaborative. Everyone I’ve met has introduced me to another person who does this and that, and that’s really cool. There’s something really special about the startup ecosystem here.”
The conference will begin with a kickoff party Sept. 14 at the Boulevard Brewery, and will feature other events including a pitch competition, job fair, concert and hackathon. Here’s a rough version of the schedule, provided by Techweek.
LaunchKC — an initiative to attract 10 tech firms to relocate to Kansas City — partnered with Techweek to present a demo day competition during Techweek, which is expected to attract hundreds of attendees.
In addition to revealing the conference schedule, Lynch also introduced eight additional speakers to Techweek’s roster.
Speakers include:
- Kristin Smith, CEO of Code Fellows
- John Fein, managing director of Techstars
- Boland Jones, CEO of PGi
- Chris Jeffrey, CEO of OrderUp
- Jim McKelvey, co-founder of Square
- Teffanie Stanard, CEO of MENT
- Anand Sanwal, CEO of CB Insights
- Blake Miller, a partner at Think Big Partners
- John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing
- Claude Aldridge, CEO of Trellie
- Patrick Stuart, senior product manager at Skycatch
- Jonathan Badeen, co-founder of Tinder
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Brad Feld contest offering a startup free rent in KC
A prominent venture capitalist is launching an international competition in Kansas City that will offer a startup free office space in one of the area’s tech hotbeds. Brad Feld, co-founder of the Boulder-based Foundry Group, kicked off a contest Tuesday that will allow a startup to live in his Kansas City, Kan., home for one-year…
Digital Sandbox partners with Olathe to lift startups
Business incubator Digital Sandbox KC is widening its reach to suburban Kansas City. Digital Sandbox is partnering with the City of Olathe, Kan., to help launch businesses and boost entrepreneurship with its proof-of-concept model. The organization invests up to $25,000 in businesses for specific projects that help them secure additional funding. “Digital Sandbox has done…
FCC commissioner Ajit Pai visits with local entrepreneurs
In a reunion trip to Kansas City, a federal communications official visited with entrepreneurs and business leaders to discuss the effects of high-speed Internet access in the area. Ajit Pai, a commissioner with the Federal Communications Commission, stopped by the Kansas City Startup Village Thursday on a tour to gain more information on broadband expansion…
New focus at Sprint Accelerator hopes to lure local firms
Now wrapped up with its second startup class, the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator has begun prepping for its new mission in 2016. Instead of focusing specifically on mobile health technologies, the Techstars-led accelerator will broadly welcome startups in all mobile technology. The Kansas City-based accelerator welcomes about 10 startups each year from around the world…