The 2017 Battle of the Brands set to kick off
February 1, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
Along with dozens of participating companies around the metro area, KCSourceLink is gearing up for its 2017’s Battle of the Brands competition.
Battle of the Brands is a bracket-style competition that pits Kansas City businesses against each other — only one will reign as the “Aristo of Entrepreneurship.”
Its purpose? To shine a light on Kansas City businesses and cultivate entrepreneurial enthusiasm.
The criteria is simple. Eligible brands must have been in business for at least one year and have entrepreneurial roots in the metro. To establish the 64 participant businesses, public voting will take place Feb. 20 to 23. After that, the official battle begins March 6. For each official round — 32, 16, eight, four and two — polls open at 8:00 a.m. and close at 11:59 p.m. the final day.
Participating businesses will be divided into four different groups: second-stage, microenterprise, main street and innovation. KCSourceLink hopes that the categories will reflect the diversity of entrepreneurs that make up our city.
In 2016, over 70,000 Kansas Citians cast their votes in the battle. For information about applying, click here.
Here is the schedule:
- Round 1: “64 to the Floor” March 6-9
- Round 2: “Sturdy 32” March 13-16
- Round 3: “Scrappy 16” March 20-21
- Round 4: “Epic 8” March 23-24
- Round 5: “Final 4” March 28-29
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Andy Stoll: Entrepreneurial ecosystem answers aren’t inside the Kauffman Foundation
Editor’s note: This content was sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation but independently produced by Startland News. Acting in a Bollywood film. Pie making on Armenian television. Cooking on a dude ranch in Australia. Sewing in a dress factory in Bangkok. Farming maize in Zambia. Each revealed a lesson and mission for Andy Stoll.…
Rx Savings secures $18.4M funding round, nears 2 million members
An $18.4 million funding round is the prescription Rx Savings Solutions needs to expand its fight against a crippling, yet common ailment, said Michael Rea. “Everyone in the nation has the same problem — high drug costs — and most people don’t know there are options to save money,” said Rea, founder and chief executive…
Before prime time: Did Amazon’s 1999 arrival in Kansas deliver on hype?
In 1999, Amazon — still in its infancy — meant only two things to most consumers: low-priced books and CDs. But for one small town in Kansas, residents believed the online retailer had the potential to be a game-changer for their economically depressed, rural community. “People in Coffeyville were practically doing cartwheels in the streets,” said…
FCC head: Repealing net neutrality will boost innovation, investment; startups disagree
The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to eliminate regulatory rules that prohibit internet service providers from interfering with consumers’ access to web content. FCC chairman Ajit Pai announced in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that the regulatory body will vote Dec. 14 to repeal 2015 Obama-era regulations. That regulatory model, referred to as Title II,…