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
Built to last, bought with intention: How JE Dunn set supplier diversity as a cornerstone
Editor’s note: The following story was sponsored by KC Rising, a regional initiative to help Kansas City grow faster and more intentionally, as part of a campaign to promote its CEO-to-CEO Challenge on supplier diversity. Approaching supplier diversity for the long haul means defining the work — without limiting it, said Jason Banks, describing how Kansas City-based construction icon JE…
Rally Gin pours into KC as childhood friends mix spirit of resilience with Black-owned, woman-owned brand
After launching in the Los Angeles market, Rally Gin is coming home — distilling a pandemic dream into Kansas City reality. “We have so much pride in being Kansas City natives and are thrilled to share Rally Gin with the town,” said Alysha Daicy, co-founder. A launch event honoring Rally’s expansion into the Midwest is planned…
Hack Midwest set for July return — challenging coders to build game-changing apps in 24 hours
After a four year hiatus, Kansas City’s largest coding competition is back, bringing with it more than 300 of the region’s most talented software engineers — set to battle it out in July for prizes and honors. “Adding to Kansas City’s momentum as a leading tech hub, Hack Midwest gives passionate software engineers the opportunity to…
It’s wheels up for KC flight attendant-turned headwear designer: Heavy Head takes flight
Jaclyn Heupel had a gut feeling early in the pandemic that she would eventually get furloughed from her job as a flight attendant with American Airlines. Brainstorming ideas for a side gig to help her pass the time led Heupel to a sewing machine and fabric. Watching YouTube videos brought experimentation with materials. She settled…