Raise a glass to entrepreneurship during 1Week KC’s 5th anniversary

We honor all the best things in life — weddings, birthdays and Bar Mitzvahs to name a few  — why shouldn’t we celebrate entrepreneurship?

In Kansas City, we have a day — or seven — for just that.

1Week KC, which aims to connect and celebrate area entrepreneurs through 10 events, will begin as any good celebration should: with a 4 p.m. happy hour on Friday, May 20.

More than an excuse to party, the week offers insights on how to succeed in the area’s startup community, said Jenny Miller, network builder for 1Week KC.

“1Week KC brings entrepreneurs from across the metro together to socialize, learn from each other and hear about what is happening in entrepreneurship and small business ownership throughout our region,” Miller said. “It provides for connections between entrepreneurs and the resources needed to start, grow and accelerate businesses in Kansas City.”

Now in its fifth year, 1Week KC originally began as part of the effort to kick off Kansas City’s pledge to become the most entrepreneurial city in America, Miller said. It’s grown each year, she added, and now hundreds of attendees flock to its events each year, which is made possible through the combined efforts of KCSourceLink and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

“There are so many wonderful things happening in entrepreneurship across Kansas City that people don’t know about,” Miller said. “Taking time to celebrate the people that are working tirelessly behind the scenes, the ideas that are going to change our world and the community that supports them, provides for a sense of refreshment and a chance to highlight what is happening.”

In addition to the Startup Crawl happy hour, the week also includes such headliners as the Sprint Accelerator Techstars Demo Day on May 24 and the Start+Scale Business Day May 25.

The demo day will showcase the latest cohort of Sprint Accelerator startups as they pitch to investors from around the world. The accelerator’s culminating event attracts hundreds of attendees and offers an opportunity to mingle with founders before they take to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts stage.

Start+Scale affords current and potential entrepreneurs the chance to learn from local business owners and experts about how to move ideas and businesses forward. The $5, all-day event will be hosted at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center.

See the flyer below for the full event schedule. Register for events here.