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
New owner plans Vietnamese redux with modernized experience at Northland bánh mi spot
Quick service. Customization. Simple menu. Meals made-to-order in front of the customer. Chipotle was built on this service model. Now Peter Nguyen wants to bring it to his new Vietnamese restaurant, and even use that system to start a franchise of his own. In August, Nguyen purchased the former Bun Mee Phan restaurant at 4011…
Office with a pew: Coworking veterans hail ‘untapped potential’ of unused space within churches
A coworking space and a church — united around the idea of building community — formed a unique partnership earlier this year in Kansas City’s northland, said Bob Martin. The CO-OP at Shoal Creek — which Martin and Heather Heckroot opened in January — has taken up residence at Shoal Creek Community Church in Pleasant…
Digital Inclusion Fund awards $75K for devices to KC nonprofits working to get residents online
A relaunched Kansas City-area fund is expected to help residents struggling because of a lack of simple tech resources: devices that might often be taken for granted among their neighbors for whom the internet — and the opportunities that come with it — is already easily accessible. Eleven nonprofits in the region recently were awarded a…
Biden-Harris official tours KC BioHub; region prepares to reapply for federal Tech Hubs funding
A visit from a top federal economic development leader early this month offered regional leaders an opportunity to showcase and build upon Kansas City’s strategy to increase domestic production of life-saving vaccines within the footprint of the newly established KC BioHub. Maryam Janani-Flores, chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration…
