VIDEO: Startup leaders talk KC Startup Foundation (plus bloopers)
August 10, 2017 | Bobby Burch and Meghan LeVota
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
Featured Business
2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Chamber awards ‘Small Business of the Year’ to trendsetter that caught ‘lightning in a bottle’
In its third match as a Top 10 Small Business, Chicken N Pickle earned the Chamber’s coveted Mr. K Award — signifying the North Kansas City family entertainment experience as the Small Business of the Year. Dave Johnson, founder of Chicken N Pickle, accepted the honor Wednesday during the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s…
Bardavon acquires San Fran health app to complete hybrid treatment platform for workers
Adding PeerWell — and the San Francisco startup’s leadership — to the portfolio of tools at Bardavon Health Innovations will help the Overland Park health powerhouse complete the industry’s first digital solution for worker musculoskeletal health, said Matt Condon. Together, Bardavon and PeerWell will pair in-person therapy, virtual coaching, and self-care for injury prevention and…
That purple smokey eye? It’s a mask of confidence, KC beauty entrepreneur says
At first glance, beauty is a superficial industry, Alley Gage admitted, her reflection showing in a nearby mirror as she spoke about her decade-long career in cosmetics. The truth she’s learned about the industry — well, it’s a reality she isn’t willing to gloss over. “I’ve always loved the concept that a tiny jar of something…
Generational wealth is coming to Prospect; meet the business group (and KC woman) leading the charge
As a former small business owner herself, Simone Curls wants Kansas City entrepreneurs to avoid the struggles she experienced. “I did it through the fire,” said Curls, executive director of the Prospect Business Association. “I walked those burning coals.” Curls grew up around the corner from the Prospect Business Association’s offices on Linwood and Prospect.…