VIDEO: Startup leaders talk KC Startup Foundation (plus bloopers)

August 10, 2017  |  Bobby Burch and Meghan LeVota

Adam Arredondo and Matthew Marcus

So, what exactly is the Kansas City Startup Foundation?

For one, it is a foundation. Secondly, it involves startups. And last but not least, it serves Kansas City.

If you have ever found yourself confused about what exactly the Kansas City Startup Foundation does and which programs it offers, then the video below is for you.

Since the foundation’s launch in 2016, it has undergone many pivots, shifts and changes.

As you may have read in the news earlier this week, the foundation has merged with Center for Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development, a for-profit community building organization spearheaded by Adam Arredondo. A former board member at the Kansas City Startup foundation, Arredondo will now serve as the executive director for the nonprofit.

It became clear to Arredondo that both organizations shared the same vision: “to create the most connected startup ecosystem in the world.”

And as Matthew Marcus, the Kansas City Startup Foundation’s director of operations, began to realize, “volunteer efforts alone were only going to take the foundation so far. We needed more resources and more support to champion our efforts.”

Former co-founders of the now-defunct local events startup Local Ruckus, Arredondo and Marcus have been through a lot with each other. The pair also served as integral community builders cultivating the Kansas City Startup Village since about 2012.

In the video below, Arredondo and Marcus share their entrepreneurial journey and detail what to expect from the foundation in the future.

Bloopers

 

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      2017 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        Shop Small: 5 gifts for people who are always cold (KC Gift Guide)

        By Tommy Felts | November 21, 2022

        Editor’s note: This feature is the first in Startland News’ five-part holiday gift guide showcasing Kansas City makers and their products. Check out the featured maker below, then keep reading for five gift ideas to get started. A decade later, Pancho’s Blanket co-owner Jonathan Garvey is still wearing a hooded sweater his mom bought him…

        Missouri businesses consider leaving Twitter amid instability of Elon Musk’s takeover

        By Tommy Felts | November 21, 2022

        Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Missouri Business Alert, a member of the KC Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, and The Kansas City Beacon. Click here to read the original story. COLUMBIA, Missouri — As concern about Twitter increases under new leadership and changing guidelines,…

        Bungii hires former C2FO exec for CFO role; startup delivers on new consumer demands

        By Tommy Felts | November 21, 2022

        Ratcheting through the stages of a growing startup is easier with an experienced professional under the hood, said Ben Jackson, drawing upon the comparison of scaling to “chewing glass while staring into the abyss.” “Companies fundamentally change as various revenue thresholds are surpassed,” said Jackson, co-founder of Bungii. “A seed stage company looks completely different…

        Come on (down) Now! AltCap Your Biz awards $37K in prizes with a familiar face earning biggest win of the night

        By Tommy Felts | November 18, 2022

        The founder’s story can be the most important part of a startup’s pitch, Dr. Shelley Cooper shared after clinching the $25,000 grand prize at Thursday’s AltCap Your Biz: Pitch Competition. “Everybody else had a lot more financials in their pitch, and I took all that stuff out. I focused on telling my story the way…