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
Kauffman Foundation announces winner of 1 in a Million contest
Kansas City’s reign atop the national 1 in a Million contest has ended. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation announced Wednesday that Anchoraged-based Pandere Shoes won the contest, beating out one local finalist and winning $25,000 in the process. The Grooming Project was the sole Kansas City firm left in the competition, which challenges 1 Million…
Lawrence drone tech firm navigates obstacle course to win national contest
A Lawrence-based firm that designs sensors and flight controllers to help drones fly more safely recently snagged an international award for its tech. Founded in 2015, Aerotenna won first prize at the Unmanned Traffic Management Preliminary Drone Sense & Avoid technology competition, earning it $12,000 and valuable exposure to industry experts. Aerotenna CEO Dr. Zongbo…
Events Preview: GEW Innovation Exchange
There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter, or curious Kansas Citian, we recommend these upcoming events for you. Join us in celebrating the remainder of Global Entrepreneurship Week and check out these events. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW The Capital Series: So You…
Super Dispatch founder Bek Abdullayev delivers trends in trucking
Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by LaunchKC but independently produced by Startland News. Technological advancements are bringing significant change to nearly all industries — and trucking is no different. Autonomous vehicles, machine learning and the Internet of Things are just a few of the trends on which Super Dispatch founder Bek Abdullayev has his…
