News

Jill Meyer, UMKC Innovation Center

ScaleUP! KC leader Jill Meyer tapped to run Digital Sandbox KC, Whiteboard2Boardroom, KCInvestED initiatives

By Tommy Felts / September 19, 2019

A newly created role at the UMKC Innovation Center will see leadership for its early-venture and tech initiatives consolidated under the guidance of Jill Meyer. “New businesses, jobs — and good jobs — are key indicators of a strong economy,” said Meyer, the center’s new senior director of technology ventures. “We need to continue to…

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Sprint Corporate Accelerator Program

Sprint, DFA open applications for parallel programs within 2020 Corporate Accelerator

By Tommy Felts / September 19, 2019

When one of Kansas City’s most popular corporate accelerators returns in the spring, its cohort will be more meaningfully defined and tailored to its twin partner industries — 5G mobile technology and agtech/dairy food products, said Ari DeGrote. “We are looking at these two programs as being separate, but parallel — this will really help…

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Show Me Jobs report: Young firms created 44,000 jobs, drove majority of Missouri hiring in 2018

By Tommy Felts / September 18, 2019

Startups created more than 44,000 jobs in Missouri in 2018, accounting for nearly 80 percent of all new jobs in the state, according to a new report from MOSourceLink. The Show Me Jobs report is a broader version of a similar report focused on the Kansas City market. MOSourceLink, a nonprofit resource provider for entrepreneurs…

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Lesa Mitchell, Techstars Kansas City

Techstars Kansas City returning in 2020, fully funded by globe-spanning seed accelerator

By Tommy Felts / September 18, 2019

Techstars believes in Kansas City’s potential because of its proven track record, said Lesa Mitchell, announcing the 2020 return of the seed accelerator to the City of Fountains following a brief hiatus. “I am the luckiest person on the face of the Earth because I’m again going to run what we call a horizontal program,…

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Fountain City Fintech 2019 cohort

Party for the payoff: Fountain City Fintech sets Oct. 15 demo day, KC celebration

By Tommy Felts / September 18, 2019

Kansas City’s ongoing fintech momentum deserves more than a nod from analysts and trend watchers, said Zach Pettet, announcing plans for an Oct. 15 demo day that’s already taking shape as a community celebration. “We need an excuse to rally together and celebrate everything that’s happened over the past few months — especially in the…

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