Compute Midwest named top national tech conference

August 17, 2016  |  Bobby Burch

Consistently attracting futurists and tech leaders from around the U.S., Compute Midwest recently was named a national tech conference that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Inc. Magazine included the annual, Kansas City-based conference on its “Top Tech Conferences You Can’t Miss This Fall” list, noting the event’s traditionally strong lineup of speakers.

Presented by the Disruption institute, the event previously has featured such speakers as Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, iRobot founder Rodney Brooks, former NASA CTO Chris Kemp, former Makerbot CEO Jenny Lawton and more. Scheduled for Nov. 2, Compute Midwest 2016 already is primed for a solid lineup, hosting Hyperloop Transport Technologies COO Bibop Gresta and Biobots CEO Danny Cabrera.

Here’s what Inc. had to say about Compute Midwest:

“Kansas City? That’s right. Hailing from the first city chosen for Google Fiber, Compute Midwest is one of the world’s leading future-focused tech conferences. More than 1,000 attendees exploring the technologies transforming tomorrow and learning how the world-class speakers overcame enormous challenges to create breakthrough innovations. Topics include: self-driving cars, robots, space travel, artificial intelligence and more.”

Other tech conferences that landed on the list were Lisbon-based Web Summit, TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, Wall Street Journal Digital Live in Laguna Beach, Dreamforce in San Francisco and others.

Disruption institute founder Michael Gelphman said he’s expecting around 1,000 attendees this year for Compute Midwest. He added that he’s excited to share the event’s inspirational ethos with more people in the region and that he hopes the magazine’s nod will help spread the word.

It’s a tremendous honor to be on a short list of the most prestigious conferences around the world,” Gelphman said. “I hope this feature shows that truly remarkable things can be built from the heart, right here in Kansas City.”

Tagged ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder
      [adinserter block="4"]

      2016 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        Photos: Folklore transformed this rooftop for one-night; its $100K impact on small biz lasts even longer

        By Tommy Felts | October 1, 2025

        A packed rooftop event that started five years ago as a small gathering among friends has grown into a sold-out celebration that not only highlights music, food, and tradition, but also invests back into local nonprofits and entrepreneurs, said Luis Padilla, founder of Folklore and its popular small business grant program. “That balance of culture…

        Fresh in the tin: Crossroads cafe targets TikTok generation for laid-back canned seafood cuisine

        By Tommy Felts | October 1, 2025

        A new venue specializing in “sangria, tins and snacks” pairs viral tastes with inspiration from a classic culinary voice, said longtime Kansas City restaurateur Shawn McClenny, whose Crossroads “taverna” is expected to open by mid-November. “It will be more of a Spanish cafe, very informal, no reservations,” said McClenny, describing the future Lilico’s Taverna slated…

        Lula bets on responsible growth to hit profitability; why the startup’s most valuable property is room to scale

        By Tommy Felts | October 1, 2025

        Lula opened 2025 by announcing a hefty funding round; the momentum has only continued to build, founder Bo Lais shared. On top of its $28 million Series A round in early February, the Kansas City-based proptech startup expanded to more than 50 markets nationwide and had eight straight months of record gross merchandise value and…

        World Cup hosts launch KC Game Plan for entrepreneurs; heat map, cultural insights on global visitors warming up next

        By Tommy Felts | September 30, 2025

        Kansas City boasts no better roster of ambassadors than the region’s small business owners, said Tracy Whelpley, announcing a new KC2026 “Game Plan” for entrepreneurs who are eager to put cleats to streets ahead of the incoming FIFA World Cup. “There’s so many entrepreneurial people out there and they really represent what our community is…