Techweek opens Monday with KC Mayoral Candidate Tech Forum; launches app with full schedule
October 2, 2018 | Austin Barnes
Candidates to be Kansas City’s next mayor will take the stage Monday at Union Station in one of Techweek KC’s first events of 2018 to talk tech and its importance in shaping the city’s future, said Ryan Weber.
“We’re still a long way from the [April 2] primary election, but this forum will help voters be more educated about the various candidates, their experience, credentials, and vision for the future of KCMO as a whole,” said Weber, president of the KC Tech Council.
Ryan Weber, KC Tech Council
Announced candidates appearing Monday at Techweek KC include Alissia Canady, Jermaine Reed, Phil Glynn, Quinton Lucas, Steve Miller, Scott Taylor, and Scott Wagner.
The forum does not include front-runner and former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, who announced Tuesday in a Facebook that he was dropping out of the race because of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms.
With nearly 100,000 tech jobs across the metro, the tech-focused forum is a can’t-miss for curious citizens who have questions about the city’s digital evolution, Weber said.
“[The tech space] lifts an economy, employs workers, and accelerates development,” he said. “We hope every candidate has a strategy to enable this growth.”
The KC Tech Council hopes each candidate has a tech-focused strategy prepared for the city, if they are elected come the June 25, 2019, general election, Weber said.
Adding the mayoral forum to a full Techweek KC schedule — which was released Monday and can be accessed using the Attendify app — is one of the dozens of ways the 2018 event is diverging from previous incarnations of Techweek KC.
Weber is expecting a conversation Monday that’s both lively and informative, he said.
Featured Business
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Grantmaking reboot ‘just one piece of the larger puzzle’ in Kauffman Foundation reset, CEO says
Overhauling the Kauffman Foundation’s grantmaking strategy aligns with a broader, holistic reset for the influential Kansas City organization, said Dr. DeAngela Burns Wallace, emphasizing org-wide moves to deepen the impact and dialogue sparked by its giving. “We’re still engaged in the work happening locally, regionally, and nationally,” said Burns-Wallace, president and CEO of the Ewing…
KC Current’s goalkeeper AD Franch lauded for teaming with WeCodeKC to empower urban youth
AD Franch is more than just a world-class athlete; she’s a true community servant, said Tammy Buckner, founder of WeCodeKC, heaping praise on the KC Current goalkeeper-turned-advocate for technology education in Kansas City. “Her passion and dedication to our students are unmatched,” said Buckner. “Through her partnership, we’ve been able to bring sports and technology…
Midwest crypto platform Normal aims to bring blockchain ‘banking’ to the mainstream
Cryptocurrencies are poised to radically disrupt and transform monetary systems across the globe, said Joshua Blew, noting the coming financial freedom offered by such developments is closely tied to individuals’ access to the best tools and ownership of the right assets. But connecting to them in a world of banking behemoths and entrenched financial institutions…
KC Chamber set to honor steward of economic inclusion with its 2024 ATHENA award
Transformational leadership guides Qiana Thomason’s purpose, officials with the KC Chamber said, detailing the Health Forward Foundation executive’s commitment to health equity through strategic community investments and policy influence through seasoned social capital. Thomason is set to be honored 5 p.m. Oct. 16 at Starlight Theatre during the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s 2024…