Compute Midwest rebrands, announces expansion to the Windy City
June 2, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
The Kansas City-based tech conference formerly known as Compute Midwest has announced a rebrand and expansion to Chicago.
The conference, which has been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the top tech conferences in the nation, has changed its name to become Dare Mighty Things. Since its launch in 2012, the conference has consistently attracted a broad audience, including entrepreneurs, developers, venture capitalists, creatives, executives and more.
Founder Michael Gelphman said he believes the name will allow the conference to reach a broader audience.
“The previous name kind of constrained us — we want to become something more global,” Gelphman said. “Anybody who hears that name automatically will think this is just for super techy people. … The conference is for anybody who’s creating anything who wants to be inspired.”
Presented by the Disruption Institute, the event previously has featured speakers such as Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, iRobot founder Rodney Brooks, former NASA CTO Chris Kemp, former Makerbot CEO Jenny Lawton and more.
Gelphman hopes the rebrand will help Dare Mighty Things expand its reach while breaking down silos within the tech, creative and business communities.
“These segmented communities are all coming together and seeing what kind of ideas and conversations come out of it,” Gelphman said. “That’s part of the magic — bringing these different people together.”
Dare Mighty Things is set for Nov. 3 in Chicago. Although Gelphman said he’s enjoyed holding the conference in Kansas City for the past six years, he’s excited about the conference’s growth.
“We are looking forward to the opportunity to see what we could do in Chicago and completely start from scratch,” Gelphman said. “We also know that many people from Kansas City will still be attending.”
Gelphman expects about 1,000 registrants and added that attendance has grown each year since its launch. In addition, Dare Mighty Things will offer a podcast this year, featuring interviews with top innovators from around the world.
“We want it to be more than just a conference,” Gelphman said. “The podcast will allow us to continuously create content and help with brand awareness. We want listeners to get the same feeling from the content that they experience at the conference.”
To learn more or to register for Dare Mighty Things, click here.
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
PHKC planning to open its retail incubator in mid-May; here’s a first look inside the east side space
A new space for entrepreneurs to test-run their retail businesses is envisioned as a 12- to 16-month stepping stone to their own permanent storefronts or locations, said Dan Smith, and the resource could be open as soon as this spring. “We’re preparing entrepreneurs to open their own brick and mortars on the east side,” said…
Chingu founders, Mean Mule partner for KC’s first soju — a Korean nod to vodka, distilled with culture
Serial foodpreneurs Keeyoung Kim and David Son are launching the Midwest’s first locally distilled premium soju — a pays homage to the traditions of soju, but embraces a new era of cocktail culture. Through a partnership with Mean Mule Distilling Co., the first release of Chingu Soju will be just 15-20 cases of the product. …
WeCode KC, high school partner to launch cybersecurity program for students
A new program from an expanding Kansas City nonprofit plans to expose high school students to job readiness and life skills that prepare them for careers in cybersecurity, right out of high school. WeCode KC, which promotes tech education and creating sustainable career pathways, recently announced a partnership with KIPP Legacy High School to introduce…
WeWork closing Corrigan Station, once a core hub for Kansas City’s startup community
Coworking giant WeWork on Thursday confirmed the planned closure of its Corrigan Station location in Kansas City — a space once closely intertwined with the local startup scene and its flourishing culture of innovation. “As part of WeWork’s strategic restructuring efforts, we have made the difficult decision to end our operations at Corrigan Station,” a…