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
KC firm invests $56M in LGTB+ owned 10KC to reimagine a more inclusive workplace (that employees won’t want to leave)
A funding infusion from a leading Kansas City venture capital firm comes at a critical time as employees struggle to connect in a hybrid work world, said Ten Thousand Coffees (10KC), announcing its first institutional raise since the company’s 2014 formation in Toronto. Originally bootstrapped, 10KC will use the $56 million investment from Five Elms…
Boulevard, Vine Street hop to ‘inspire our city’ with a brew in honor of KC baseball icon Buck O’Neil
A new ale crafted in collaboration between one of Kansas City’s biggest brands and the city’s first Black-owned brewery is expected to commemorate “a true American treasure,” said Kemet Coleman — as well as send 100 percent of its proceeds to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. The Buck O’Neil Barrel-Aged Saison honors the late first…
Mid x Midwest aims to connect 50 VCs with 50 startups; why this new meetup is coming to KC
Traveling throughout the U.S. for business, Dan Kerr regularly comes across investors who have heard rumblings about the burgeoning Kansas City tech startup ecosystem, he said. But one problem persists: most of these potential funders have never stepped foot in Kansas City. “Really what got my gears turning is that I have a big network…
Just funded: Big ‘Pure Pitch’ winners swim with the sharks, earn thousands in cash on the spot
A winning afternoon at the Pure Pitch Rally is validation Dr. Brandy Archie’s healthtech accessibility app is providing connections people actually need, she said. “That’s the most important thing to me,” said Archie, founder of AskSAMIE. “The funds are going to a good cause, but this lets me know that this new idea that I…