Uber exec with KC ties resigns to explore Kansas politics
March 21, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
An Uber executive with strong ties to Kansas City has announced his resignation and return to Kansas.
Brian McClendon
Uber announced Tuesday that Brian McClendon, vice president of maps and business platforms at Uber, would be stepping down from his post as he explores a life in Kansas politics. A University of Kansas graduate, McClendon in January became an advisor to Kansas City-based venture fund Firebrand VC.
A native of Lawrence, Kan., McClendon said his political ambitions aim to improve the Sunflower State.
“After 30 years away, I’ve decided to move back to my hometown of Lawrence, Kansas,” McClendon said in a statement. “My roots there run deep and traveling back a few times a year no longer seems like enough. This fall’s election and the current fiscal crisis in Kansas is driving me to more fully participate in our democracy — and I want to do that in the place I call home.”
McClendon graduated from KU with a degree in electrical engineering and serves on several advisory boards for his alma mater. Prior to his two-year gig at Uber, McClendon worked at Google’s mapping department for a decade.
This announcement comes just couple days after Uber’s president of ride sharing Jeff Jones resigned. Jones cited a difference in “beliefs and approach to leadership as the reason for his leave, according to the original report from Recode.
McClendon appears to be amicably departing the ride-sharing giant. His last day is scheduled for March 28.
“I believe in Uber’s mission and the many talented people working there to make it a reality and that’s why I have agreed to stay on as an adviser,” McClendon said.
The news puts McClendon closer to his advisory role with Firebrand VC, an area fund that’s focused on investing in Midwest tech ventures.
“Firebrand is thrilled to welcome Brian as a new key member of our world class team,” Firebrand managing director John Fein told Startland News in January. “His technical and entrepreneurial experience will be a huge asset to the fund, periodically helping to evaluate the teams and technologies we’re considering investing in. Brian also has very close ties to KU and Lawrence which is already helping Firebrand engage more closely with those important communities.”
McClendon recently visited Kansas City in September during Techweek KC, delivering a keynote address on the future of driverless cars.
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Meet Kansas City’s ‘data experts in coffee,’ PerfectCube
Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by LaunchKC but independently produced by Startland News. Kansas City’s flourishing independent coffee roaster market has brewed opportunity for a duo of entrepreneurs. Mark Calhoun and Jim Starcev co-founded the big data platform PerfectCube in 2015. And although the platform is a viable analytics solution for any retailer, the…
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…