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
Joni Cobb and Pipeline took ‘a leap of faith’ that’s paying off
In 2006, Joni Cobb was busy coaxing Kansas business executives to apply for a program honing their leadership skills. Then a state-subsidized program, Pipeline would cultivate promising entrepreneurs that would tangentially grow the Sunflower State’s economy with their firms. Extolled as rigorous, the Pipeline sales pitch hit snags with its intensiveness and novelty. Skeptical entrepreneurs…
The Pipeline fellowship’s journey to the Emerald Isle in photos
In an educational adventure focused on finance and global business strategy, the Pipeline entrepreneurial fellowship program ventured across the pond for a week of relationship building. I tagged along not only to observe the experience — expect more on that front soon — but to capture some moments with my camera. This smattering of photos, which…
Kansas City startups flex pitch skills in national Kauffman contest
Four Kansas City area startups — and one Lawrence, Kan. firm — have qualified to the top 40 of Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s 1 in a Million pitch competition. The competition offers those who have presented at 1 Million Cups in the last year a chance to snag a $25,000 prize. Hundreds of applicants — who…
Big Bang leverages smart city success, LaunchKC momentum
Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by LaunchKC but independently produced by Startland News. As Kansas City becomes a hotbed for smart city tech, one local startup is providing a spine for streamlined communication among the devices cities will leverage. Kansas City-based Big Bang’s Internet of Things software aims to work as the “central nervous…