Latest Stories
Video: Foosball and whimsy are integral to the RFP365 ethos
Kansas City foosball virtuoso Stuart Ludlow knows his way around the fútbol table. With a strike rivaling a Black Mamba’s, Ludlow’s instincts and supple wrist on the foosball pitch puts to shame most any adversary. But perhaps equally as cunning is Ludlow’s savvy to integrate the table game into the workplace culture of RFP365, of which he’s a co-founder. Founded in 2012,…
MIT-modeled mentorship arrives in Kansas City
A new MIT-modeled mentorship program is available to Kansas City entrepreneurs. The Enterprise Center in Johnson County is now accepting applications for its new mentoring program, the Growth Mentoring Service, which adopts the approach of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Venture Mentoring Service. The free, two-year program is welcoming all entrepreneurs who meet its guidelines…
LaunchKC, the $500K grant competition, opens applications
The popular LaunchKC grants competition is back for more and is now accepting applications. LaunchKC — which attracted nearly 500 applicants in its inaugural 2015 competition — dishes out 10, $50,000 non-dilutive grants to tech entrepreneurs from around the globe. “We are searching for the best and brightest startups or early stage technology businesses to apply…
Police offer behind-the-scenes insight on Royals’ World Series parade
It’s November 3, and the Kansas City Royals have just won the World Series after a surprisingly short five games. The last time the Royals brought home a trophy that size was 1985. Fans are ready to party — a crazy, once-every-30-years kind of party. How does a police department ensure the safety of an…
Video: Witness a high-tech response to mock active shooter situation
Kansas City Police on Thursday hosted a live demonstration of a high-tech, drone-enabled response to a mock active shooter situation in Kansas City. The event, which was part of the inaugural Smart City Tech Summit, featured such public safety tools as gunshot detection tech, drones, social media monitoring, data analytics and more. Here’s a video recap of the…
Events Preview: #OneDayKC
There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW #OneDayKC When: April 1 @ 8:00 am – 8:00 pm Where: Kauffman Foundation At #OneDayKC, college and high school students this day…
Kean: From Hong Kong to Kansas City, coffee’s the constant in startup life
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. My story began in 2012 as the startup scene in Kansas City was just blossoming. An ever-expanding group of motivated individuals from diverse backgrounds were launching awesome companies, and tech events were occurring more often and with bigger turnouts. When Matt Berkland…
Five years later: Google Fiber celebrates a Kansas City milestone
Five years ago today, the Kansas City area heard the news that it would receive a transformative, residential gigabit Internet service. Hundreds of cities lobbied to be the first to receive Google Fiber, but ultimately, Kansas City, Kan. won the highly-sought-after service. And the world learned that on March 30, 2011. Five years later, Google…
Mayor Sly James’ vision for Kansas City: Innovation and entrepreneurship
In an address to constituents Tuesday, Kansas City Mayor Sly James broadly painted his vision for Kansas City and outlined what success for the area would look like. And at the cornerstones of his ideas for the next decade? The future of Kansas City hinges upon innovation and entrepreneurship. “With Google Fiber and the smart,…
SparkLabKC nixes spring program, eyes management change
One of Kansas City’s top business accelerators is canceling its spring program amid a series of changes, including a potential management mixup. Founded in 2012, SparkLabKC will not be offering what would’ve been its fourth spring program as it evaluates its future. Through three separate classes, the organization has helped accelerate 30 area startups with…
