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
How the Chiefs inspired this Kansas City immigrant to embrace his new home (and start his own business)
Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. Robert Galica, an immigrant from Mexico City and a Chiefs fanatic, started hosting tailgates at Arrowhead Stadium in a school bus…
Brimming with gratitude: Super Bowl caps viral popularity as KC-stitched hat brand returns home
When Taylor Webb watches the Chiefs-Eagles Super Bowl rematch Sunday from a crowded spot at Power & Light, he’ll be surrounded by friends and fellow Chiefs fans — and with any luck, a sea of caps bearing his trendsetting signature upside-down “Kansas City” design. Odds are good for the Kansas City native, who recently relocated…
TokenTourney reimagines fantasy sports play; adding charities, businesses to its roster
Kansas City-built TokenTourney puts users’ dreams as close as the end of a bracket; now its founders are rallying behind a new effort to team up with charities and businesses who want to engage younger consumers through the tournament-style app. “TokenTourney allows the average person to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences and luxury prizes that they otherwise…
Start small, build demand, then scale: Founders offer blueprint to creating streetwear brands that outlast today’s trend
With Kansas City’s often-crowded apparel scene mobbed by designers hoping to cash in on the Chiefs’ Super Bowl success, building a lasting brand is about much more than just having a good idea that meets the moment, said Vu Radley. “You have to know your ‘why’, who you are and why you’re doing it,” the…