Listen: Leaders analyze KC’s entrepreneurial milestones, assess challenges
June 22, 2017 | Meghan LeVota
To say that Kansas City’s entrepreneurial community has matured in the last 15 years would be an understatement.
Many leaders say that if you lived in the metro during the early 2000s and were to return now, you may not even recognize the place.
Taking a moment to reflect on how far Kansas City has come, Startland News and Think Big’s June Innovation Exchange used a historical lens to analyze Kansas City entrepreneurship.
Panelists shared their analysis on the metro’s entrepreneurial ecosystem — including growth, future opportunities and areas to be improved.
In the conversation, you’ll hear from entrepreneurial community leaders including:
- Joe Reardon, CEO of Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
- Toby Rush, CEO of EyeVerify
- Darcy Howe, Managing Director of the KCRise Fund
- Joni Cobb, CEO of Pipeline Entrepreneurial Fellowship
- Herb Sih, Think Big Partners
- Maria Meyers, Executive Director of KCSourceLink
A recording of the event is below, and photos are beneath that. Hope you enjoy!
Featured Business

2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
The Lean Lab continues to make an impact in KC education
As the Lean Lab looks back on its third year, co-founder Katie Boody said the program is “just getting started.” Launched in 2013, the Kansas City-based education tech incubator engaged over 900 individuals in conversation on education innovation in 2016. In addition, last year marked the organization’s first step to go international, attracting entrepreneurs that…
Firebrand Ventures partners with UMKC to cultivate entrepreneurs
Firebrand Ventures has partnered with the University of Missouri-Kansas City to help local startup entrepreneurs. As part of the agreement, the Kansas City-based fund will offer graduates of UMKC’s E-Scholars program an opportunity to receive an investment from Firebrand starting in 2017. Housed under UMKC’s Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (RIEI), E-Scholars offers students…
Experts weigh in: Why do StartupNames Alwayz Loook Lyke Dis?
At times, it seems like startups are waging war on the English language. From merged words to missing vowels to what appears to onomatopoeia, startup names can be as creative as they are baffling. “It’s almost as if everyone is rebelling against Webster’s dictionary,” said Anita Newton, vice president of marketing at AdParlor. So, what’s…
