Techweek KC taps into thirst for community at Boulevard kickoff party (Photos)
October 9, 2018 | Tommy Felts
Revelers networking Monday night at a kickoff party for Techweek Kansas City were so lost in conversation that they frequently had to be reminded of the open bar available to them at Boulevard Beer Hall.
The evening event capped the first day of Techweek KC programming, which ran the gamut from a KC Mayoral Tech Forum and smart city innovation conversations to the opening of a Big Data track and Demo Day for KCMO’s Innovation Partnership Program.
Click here for a full event schedule for Techweek KC.
Click here to purchase tickets to Techweek.
The success of events like Techweek — and entrepreneurship in Kansas City in general — are thanks to hard work, not luck, said Jessica Palm, managing director of TeamKC at the Kansas City Area Development Council.
“Throughout this week, you’ll see incredible skills of individuals who call Kansas City home, of people who are visiting here and doing tremendous things all over the world,” Palm told the crowd at the kickoff party. “Kansas City is the place to be for tech — whether it’s a top city for really specific technology or the place to begin a career or create a startup.”
Tuesday’s programming dives deeper into blockchain technology, cryptocurrency and other FinTech topics, according to Techweek KC’s schedule, followed Wednesday by a track intentionally focused on diversity and inclusion in tech.
Thursday is dedicated to Techstars Kansas City programming and Demo Day, with LaunchKC and its grants competition rounding out the week Friday.
Check out the gallery from Techweek KC’s kickoff party below.
Featured Business

2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
As book banning spreads across US, one KC media company calls out specific threat to diverse creators
The Kansas City publishing powerhouse behind many of the nation’s most-beloved newspaper comics — from Calvin & Hobbes and The Far Side to Garfield and Peanuts — this week raised its voice amid a growing push to condemn book bans flaring up across the country. “Books are safe harbors, where the freedom of expression and…
Torch.AI secures second acquisition in two months with more in its pipeline, revealing strategy to ‘turbocharge’ military intel
Leawood-based artificial intelligence firm Torch.AI recently expanded its team and capabilities through the acquisition of B23 — a Virginia-based data extraction software company, noted Adam Lurie, chief strategy officer of Torch.AI “Our belief is that the combination of Torch.AI’s software platform Nexus, alongside the subject matter expertise and customer capabilities of B23, will allow us…
New initiative has a message for KC: When Black men say they need a ’90s self-love reboot — listen
Love yourself enough to know you matter It’s virtually impossible to love others when there’s not already a sense of self love, said Kansas City small business owner Christina Williams, announcing the launch of an initiative to guide its community of Black men to understanding and believing in their own self-worth. “I know a lot…
Splitting time between student, entrepreneur lives earns Splitsy co-founder top UMKC honor
Recognition as UMKC’s Student Entrepreneur of the Year is a reminder that innovators often begin early, said Brad Starnes, one of Kansas City’s most-talked-about emerging young startup founders. “When I was about 8 years old, I submitted a drawing to an engineering firm,” said the co-founder of Splitsy, a bill splitting app that launched its…












