Photos: Rebooted Startup Crawl reconnects entrepreneurs with a curious Kansas City
June 14, 2023 | Startland News Staff
Kansas City’s Power & Light District was crawling with curiosity Friday as a sellout crowd made its rounds, participating in the recently revived Startup Crawl event and exploring a new side of the city they call home.
Startup Crawl attendees and participants crowd together at Spark Coworking during the 2023 Startup Crawl in downtown Kansas City; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
“We saw a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces,” said Austin Barnes, executive editor of Startland News and lead organizer of Startup Crawl, noting it was the newcomers who made the return of Startup Crawl (after a four-year hiatus) a success.
“More than 42 percent of our guests were exposed to the startup, entrepreneurial and innovation community for the first time during the event — that’s a huge win as we work to further amplify innovation in KC.”
An estimated 815 guests took part in the Husch Blackwell-sponsored crawl, which spanned five venues in the Power & Light District.
Sixty-three startups, small businesses, and community organizations participated in the event.
Click here to read more about the return of Startup Crawl.
RELATED: Kansas City entrepreneurs at Startup Crawl express optimism about hiring, local support
“We couldn’t have asked for better weather, a better crowd, or more support,” Barnes said, adding kudos to event sponsors at Husch Blackwell, Block Advisors by H&R Block, Swell Spark, Spark Coworking Kansas City, Uncommongood, Saile, Kansas City Power & Light District, PNC Plaza, Kansas City BizCare, Social Apex Media, and Crux.
Check out a brief photo gallery from the event below, then keep reading.
“Our sponsors were critical in reviving this effort,” he noted. “These companies stepped up and believed us when we said our community remained hungry for this type of connectivity after the pandemic. With little hesitation they put generous support behind this event and ensured it could return bigger than ever.”
Such support went even deeper than financial sponsorship, Barnes added.
“The way our partners at each of these companies activated their teams for this event is unlike anything we’ve seen in nearly a decade of operation at Startland News,” he continued, explaining teams from the largely corporate slate of sponsors came out in full force to participate in the event in ways that ranged from planning and organizing to running booths and volunteering at crawl venues.
“That level of involvement and excitement is why Kansas City is unlike any other city around. They came ready and willing to engage with participating companies and curious citizens alike”
In addition to startup and small business exhibitors, local food from the likes of Happy Tummy and Devoured, and flowing drinks, guests were treated to a concert lineup that included three emerging artists and bands.
Keep scrolling for even more photos from Startup Crawl.
2023 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
10 emerging makers compete for cash prizes; AltCap, Strawberry Swing team up for fall showcase
Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by AltCap, an ally to underestimated entrepreneurs that offers financing to businesses and communities that traditional lenders do not serve. Amid the historic charm of Alexander Majors Barn, 10 Kansas City-area artisans stepped into the spotlight as AltCap and Strawberry Swing teamed up to host the Emerging…
MidxMidwest returns: Seizing opportunities from one-on-one founder-VC meetups more important than ever, organizers say
It’s a critical time within the startup funding ecosystem, Dan Kerr and Maggie Kenefake agreed, noting the slow tick of investments across the region present a core challenge — and opportunities — to be addressed by this fall’s MidxMidwest event. “If you look at capital, 80 percent went to the biggest three states again, and…
Brookside couple envisions upscale neighborhood escape in former Michael Forbes spot
A couple who first met as servers at a restaurant on the Country Club Plaza are setting the table for a new venture in Brookside: an “elevated” neighborhood bistro and bottle shop that’s expected to open in early 2025. After a light remodeling, Hannah Koenig and Avery Bailey plan to open CRU in late January…
KC Pioneers scored Kansas City a spot on the ‘gaming wave’; why this pro esports teams views its hometown as a championship asset
In the globe-spanning esports market, most of the top competitive gaming teams keep their hometown — if they have one — ambiguous to the public. With the industry expected to touch 1 billion people worldwide by 2029 and players untethered to physical locations, it’s simply an unimportant biographical detail to many. And potentially limiting for others.…