Techstars KC on hiatus as Lesa Mitchell takes new role with Indianapolis accelerator
May 8, 2019 | Elyssa Bezner
Techstars Kansas City is expected to “hit pause” on programming and is not returning for a 2019 cohort, said David Brown, noting the exact timing of the next program is still undecided.
David Brown, Techstars
“Our full intention is to continue in Kansas City,” said Brown, founder and co-CEO of the national accelerator network. “We love Kansas City and Kansas City startups. We’re excited to be a part of the community for a long time to come.”
Click here to read more about the Techstars KC 2018 cohort.
Lesa Mitchell, current Techstars KC managing director, is expected to take on a “special assignment” with the Indianapolis-based Techstars affiliate, Heritage Group Accelerator, throughout 2019, he added.
Mitchell will continue to be based in Kansas City and maintain her role at Techstars KC, though she is expected to also serve as the managing director for Heritage Group throughout 2019, Brown said.
“She was working with The Heritage Group at the end of her previous program and did a great job, and it was just hard to do two at once,” Brown said. “So, we’ll have another program in Kansas City — it will just come a little later.”
Lesa Mitchell and Alex Krause Matlack, Techstars KC
Mitchell and Alex Krause Matlack, Techstars KC program manager, declined to speak with Startland for this article.
Click here to read Startland’s 2018 KCultivator profile on Lesa Mitchell.
Techstars 2018
The postponement in Techstars KC programming is not expected to interfere with Techstars Startup Weekend, which is currently planned for September 2019, he added.
Mitchell is taking the helm at The Heritage Group to “work with founders looking to disrupt existing markets by pioneering the next generation of solutions across the spectrum,” according to a Techstars announcement published to its website.
“Working with a company like The Heritage Group provides startups the chance to work across multiple companies that could become customers, and obtain access to expertise that will help them scale,” Mitchell said on the Techstars site.
Click here to read the full announcement.
The Indianapolis accelerator is focused on specific areas of interest for its 2019 class, including: environmental and recycling, construction and materials, specialty chemicals and energy, and the industrial Internet of Things, according to Techstars.
The Heritage Group cohort is expected to have access to Techstars’ global networks and the Groups’ class of experts and entrepreneurs, as well as mentoring and aid from the accelerator’s venture arm, Heritage Ventures.
Click here to learn more about The Heritage Group Accelerator.
Featured Business
2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
In the field: Industry-specific, hands-free voice tech helps ‘hero up’ data collecting workers
After years of research, Bruce Rasa and his team identified a consistent pain point for field workers: capturing data on-the-go and looping it back to their headquarters. They need a co-pilot, he said, noting the role played by KC-based Dexer (formerly AgVoice), agriculture’s first handsfree data capture service to help cross-industry specialists create records —…
New city flag designed for KC’s now (and tomorrow): Here’s where you’ll see it flying first
Kansas City is ushering in an era of growth and development, Jared Horman said, and the unveiling of a new municipal flag is just the way to recognize this new chapter. “The timing feels particularly exciting with the Chiefs headed to the Super Bowl, the opening of the new terminal at the airport and the…
Pushing without force: Founder credits accelerator’s collaborative ‘in the trenches’ guidance for overseas scaling success
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by the NMotion startup accelerator, but was independently produced by Startland News. The powerhouse mix of global and localized support David Biga received from the NMotion Growth Accelerator was well worth the program’s required exchange of equity, the proptech startup founder detailed. Particle Space — one of Startland News’…
Coming to the Plaza: Food hall to put ‘chefs out front’ from breakfast to late-night crowd
Just months after expanding to Downtown Kansas City, the Strang Chef Collectives’ next location for a chef-driven food hall will be tailored to fit its new home on the Country Club Plaza, said Shawn Craft. The hall’s four new food and beverage concepts — slated to open in late May or early June — will…