Digital Sandbox coaches for pitching, funding this summer
May 24, 2016 | Kat Hungerford
School may be out for the summer, but class will soon be in session for area entrepreneurs.
The Digital Sandbox KC’s “Summer in the Sand” series has returned for its fourth year of entrepreneurial education and networking.
The program — which will feature one event per month from June to September — offers participants the chance to dive into everything from makerspaces to early-stage regional funding prospects.
It’s an excellent opportunity for area entrepreneurs to learn and meet one another, said Jeff Shackelford, director of Digital Sandbox KC.
“What we continue to really see is the need to connect people,” Shackelford said. “Whether it’s to resources or funding sources or folks with knowledge in areas entrepreneurs need help in, it’s making sure that early-stage entrepreneurs know about all the different programs. … The more of those types of programs they work with the higher probability of success.”
Summer in the Sand will be held at the Sprint Accelerator in conjunction with the accelerator’s Coworking Wednesdays series. Registration for the first event is now open.
This summer’s four events are:
June 8 – How to Pitch to the Sandbox
July 6 – Makerspaces: “Like a Gym for People Who Build Stuff”
Aug. 3 – Equity and Crowdfunding: How the New Rules Affect You
Sept. 7 – Regional Funding for Early-Stage Companies
In past years, the series has attracted more than 200 entrepreneurs, Shackelford said. This year, they expect to have as many as 250 participants, he added, partly due to the program’s relaxed question-and-answer structure.
“We put Summer in the Sand on as an opportunity for folks to really gain insight into the topics in an informal and open environment that’s not really structured,” Shackelford said. “We want everybody to feel welcome to comment, have questions and network. … We feel there’s a need there.”
Since Digital Sandbox’s 2013 launch, the organization has funded 64 projects, helped launch 27 new businesses, enabled the growth of 247 jobs and spurred $22.7 million in follow-on funding. The program is funded in part by two i6 Challenge grants from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, as well as universities, private companies and KCSourceLink.
Featured Business
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
From Google to KC, Beth Ellyn McClendon’s advice to startups: Test everything
Don’t fall in love with an idea, Beth Ellyn McClendon said. “Test everything, especially your assumptions, and allow yourself to be persuaded by data,” said McClendon, a seed investor who formerly worked with Google, Android, YouTube, Cisco and Netscape. “Try to remember — tattoo it on your eyelids if you have to – anecdotes are not…
Bodyrite duo cooks meal prep into personal training concept
Don’t just go with the flow at a traditional gym, Jamil Nelson said. Go with Flo. “Treadmills and ellipticals are pretty archaic to us,” said Nelson — or “Mr. Bodyrite” to his wife, Florese. “A jump rope is way better because it’s going to blow up your heart rate.” Modern workouts are all about functional,…
Tech tracks workplace bias: It exists ‘whether you want to face it or not’
During a summer internship with a large Kansas City corporation, college student Louis Byrd was unexpectedly called into the HR office. Although the incident was about 10 years ago today, it has not yet left his mind, Byrd said. “I’ll never forget this,” he said. “HR told me that the people on my team had…
EyeVerify explains why it changed name to Zoloz
More than two months after revealing a curious name change, EyeVerify is offering details behind its evolution to become “Zoloz.” The fast-growing biometrics tech firm announced in August that it was rebranding as Zoloz, but initially offered little information about the reason for or meaning behind the name change. Headquartered in downtown Kansas City, a…