Startups

Vetrepreneur event Purple Connection taking flight in KC

By Tommy Felts / March 20, 2017

An event connecting veteran entrepreneurs is making waves in Kansas City. Led by the Veteran Leadership Network and other local organizations, the next the Purple Connection will be held April 12 at the GRID Collaborative Workspaces. Community organizer Jesse Beaudin said this is the third iteration of the event series, and he was surprised by…

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Kauffman honoree examines impact of accelerators on an ecosystem

By Tommy Felts / March 20, 2017

Over the years, Kansas City has found itself home to several business accelerator programs. From BetaBlox to the Sprint Accelerator, these programs have increased the vibrancy of the area entrepreneurial community in many ways. But recently Kansas Citians had the chance to learn first hand just how much their local network of accelerators have helped…

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Williams to critical Bloomberg piece: KC shouldn’t try to be Silicon Valley

By Tommy Felts / March 17, 2017

Editor’s note: The following piece is in response to a Bloomberg article critical of the Kansas City Startup Village and Kansas City’s ability to use Google Fiber to become the “next Silicon Valley.” Opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone.  In 2012, Kansas City experienced what at the time must have felt like winning…

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Integrated Roadways founder featured on CNN as autonomous vehicle expert

By Tommy Felts / March 16, 2017

A Kansas City startup founder recently was featured on CNN as an industry expert for his knowledge on autonomous vehicles and the infrastructure that can support them. After being discovered via a weekend panel discussion at the SXSW Conference, Integrated Roadways founder Tim Sylvester recently was hosted on CNN’s Quest Means Money show. Sylvester’s startup…

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KU event to connect hundreds of students with KC startups

By Tommy Felts / March 16, 2017

To boost Kansas City’s growing startup community, the University of Kansas is hosting an event hoping to connect students with future employer prospects. Set for 2:00 p.m. on April 11, the KU Startup Job and Internship Fair expects to host about 200 students and over 20 area startups to connect and learn from presentations. The…

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