OneDayKC competition to inspire future Kansas City entrepreneurs

A Kansas City competition is sowing the seeds of entrepreneurship in local youth by challenging high schoolers to launch a business in only one day.

Now in its second year, OneDayKC will welcome a herd of Kansas City high schoolers to join teams and create a viable venture in 12 hours. After crafting a venture, students pitch their businesses to a panel of judges, which will select a winner.

The event — set for April 1 at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation — will offer students a leg up on their careers, said OneDayKC co-director Michael Brummett.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to interface with the startup community, big business and city leaders,” said Brummett, a sophomore at Rockhurst University. “It’s also a well-crafted introduction to the world of innovation and entrepreneurship for students. The greatest value a student gets from being at OneDayKC is practical experience with innovation processes and creating a startup.”

Brummett said that OneDayKC will specifically challenge students to leverage Kansas City’s strengths and current initiatives, including the Smart City project, Google Fiber, and the streetcar. Student teams will be mentored by professionals in technology, architecture, urban planning, education, sustainable design and other fields. Among those mentors are Leticia Britos-Cavagnaro, a Stanford University professor at the d.School; Bob Bennett, chief innovation officer of Kansas City; and Butch Rigby, owner of Screenland Theaters.

The competition is a collaboration between Rockhurst University, the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Regnier Institute and William Jewell College.

For more on the event, check out the video below. Get free tickets to watch the pitches here.