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
Batters up! Voting now open for KCSourceLink All-Star competition
When the Royals take the field June 18 at Kauffman Stadium, more than a dozen freshly crowned KCSourceLink All-Star honorees will be catching accolades. But first: You have to vote. KCSourceLink’s final round of balloting has begun for the All-Star selection, which coincides with the network’s 15-year celebration during Entrepreneur Day at the K. Dozens…
Video: Five ways to build an app — your startup’s high-tech living organism
Editor’s note: Continuing Startland’s mission to help area entrepreneurs and startups grow, we’re happy to share with you a video from our friends at Kansas City-based tech agency Crema. Learn more about the agency here. App development for any startup doesn’t end when the technology goes live for users. Choosing the right method to build…
Calling songbirds, good and bad: Choir Bar harmonizes with group singalongs
Kansas City’s new “Choir Bar” only works with a packed crowd, admits Matt Baysinger, but professional vocal talent isn’t required. “There’s no sheet music, no judgement, no solos, and no pressure,” he said of the “reverse karaoke”-style event wherein the masses — not an individual — belt out a popular tune. “We’re here to sing…
Report: Kansas City is the best locale for Millennial entrepreneurs
Overflowing with business resources, an affordable cost of living and a collaborative community of creatives, Kansas City recently was named the top U.S. destination for Millennial entrepreneurs. Thumbtack.com — a platform for customers to find various contract professionals in their area — named Kansas City, Missouri, as the best city for entrepreneurs born between 1980…