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
KCK: First for Google Fiber, close to last for connectivity
Despite being the first city to land Google Fiber, Kansas City, Kan., still made the list of the worst-connected cities in 2014. Not only did the city make the list — it made top 10. The National Digital Inclusion Alliance aggregated the list from the 2014 American Community Survey data released by the U.S. Census Bureau last…
Summer fundin’ — it happened so fast
Kansas City startups snagged a load of capital over the summer. Often earmarked for product development, hiring or both, the funds represent new injections of capital that startups hope will boost their businesses to become the next big thing out of Kansas City. In total, 23 startups raised more than $56.8 million, which is not…
90 on the Clock: Rawxies’ vegan treats
90 on the Clock: Rawxies’ vegan treats By John McGrath, KCPT, and Bobby Burch, Startland News Ed’s Note: Flatland and Startland News have partnered to highlight Kansas City’s innovators and entrepreneurs, all in 90 seconds. This is the second episode in the five-part series. Rawxies founder Callie England may best be defined by her tenacity. England, who…
Techweek commits to five more years in KC
With more than 5,000 attendees last week in Union Station, Kansas City more than doubled the expected participation in Techweek, a week-long technology conference. In fact, Kansas City performed so well that Techweek is coming back for at least five more years. Techweek CEO Katy Lynch said that the conference was anticipating about 2,500 attendees, but…
