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
Dual attractions at vineyard disc golf course bring hole-in-one for this Kansas entrepreneur trio
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. EDGERTON, Kansas — A rural Douglas County family is pairing its award-winning Kansas table wine with 18 holes of disc golf and earning national recognition in the process, Christy Fuller-Flyntz shared.…
Peek inside: Engenious Design expands its hands-on R&D collaboration space in Prairie Village
A 56,000-square-foot design center for his business is about more than just space, said Chris Justice; it’s what’s inside the high-tech facility by design: people. “Our work of designing, prototyping and testing is hands-on with specialized tools and equipment. That means our team works together, in person,” said Justice, co-founder, principal and CEO of Engenious…
How a Missouri native’s high-tech, faith-based bracelet company found inner peace in California
The emotional rollercoaster of social media can take a toll on mental health, said Gary Rakes, a Raymore, Missouri, native who saw an opportunity to create a digital safe space — one that lives on a user’s wrist. His business, Free Luma, offers a line of RFID-enabled bracelets designed to connect others through positivity and…
Mayo Clinic research: Missouri startup’s VR tech can help calm patients’ pre-surgery jitters
A recent study from the renowned researchers at the Mayo Clinic suggests a dose of virtual reality can help reduce pre-op anxiety in older patients undergoing their first open-heart surgery — and their findings come after testing with technology from Columbia, Missouri-based Healium. “While much of the research to date using VR involved younger patient…