Techweek KC taps into thirst for community at Boulevard kickoff party (Photos)

October 9, 2018  |  Tommy Felts

kickoff party

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.

Jermaine Reed, KC Mayoral Tech Forum, Techweek KC

Jermaine Reed, KC Mayoral Tech Forum, Techweek KC

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.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

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

2018 Startups to Watch

    stats here

    Related Posts on Startland News

    Muenfua Lewis and Justin Ikerionwu, By Design

    They built a coffee table magazine to showcase Black creatives; Why this week’s issue will be By Design’s last

    By Tommy Felts | December 9, 2021

    The sixth and final issue of By Design magazine is a culmination of the work of three Black men who saw a lack of community and representation in Kansas City’s art ecosystem — and decided to create their own, shared Muenfua Lewis and Justin Ikerionwu.  “By Design has always been about going deeper and breaking…

    Kansas City skyline, December 2021

    Survey: 97 percent of KC businesses expect same or better performance in 2022

    By Tommy Felts | December 9, 2021

    Business executives in the Kansas City metro expressed optimism about what lies ahead in 2022 — despite lingering pandemic-related challenges, according to newly released local and regional survey results from First Business Bank. “There are always multiple dimensions of the story to consider, but 2021 was a big improvement over 2020, and with employment increasing across…

    Ignition Lab image courtesy of Black & Veatch

    Teen STEM lab championed by Travis Kelce goes zero-carbon solar with boost from KC corporate leaders

    By Tommy Felts | December 9, 2021

    A solar installation at Operation Breakthrough’s new Ignition Lab on Troost Avenue is expected to power the STEM space for students — made possible by a team of Kansas City corporate leaders committed to clean energy and support for the Travis Kelce-backed complex. Mounted atop a central canopy at the site, the project is set to…

    Lifted Spirits' Straight Wheat Whiskey, made with Torn Label’s House Brew

    Crossroads neighbors’ limited-release holiday brew bottled after three years in the barrel

    By Tommy Felts | December 9, 2021

    When 400 bottles of Lifted Spirits’ Straight Wheat Whiskey — created using a coffee wheat stout from its Crossroads neighbor Torn Label — went on sale to the public Wednesday, the distillery-brewery mashup’s potential was finally tapped, said Michael Stuckey. “This partnership with Torn Label is a unique collaboration that demonstrates the creative, artistic nature…