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Letter to the editor: What are Kansas City startups doing to connect with universities?

Editor’s note: The following letter was submitted to Startland News by Ben Williams, assistant director of the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The letter is in response to Startland Community Builder Adam Arredondo’s open letter to area universities on their engagement with the entrepreneurial community. Dear Adam, I’ve…

Roberts: Goal-setting is more than making a plan

I recently wrote a post about why I’m not setting a New Year’s resolution for 2016. In that post, I wondered if it’s time to try setting some real goals again after years of superficial goal setting and performance reviews left a bad taste in my mouth. I’ve been thinking a lot about how I…

Key legislator optimistic in the future of Kansas’ angel tax credits

A Kansas lawmaker overseeing discussion on the future of the state’s angel investor tax credits is confident the program will be made a budgetary priority by his peers in legislature. Rep. Marvin Kleeb, R-Overland Park, said that he and fellow members of the Kansas Committee on Taxation listened to thorough testimony Wednesday during a hearing…

5 reasons your startup isn’t attracting investors

Last week, Techstars managing director John Fein told us that one of the main complaints he hears from Kansas City investors is that there aren’t enough fundable startups. Investors may be right, but it’s not necessarily a lack of good ideas. Today, Kansas City investors are looking for more than the next big idea: they’re…

Events Preview: SMCKC Breakfast, Second Fridays

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 SMCKC February Breakfast – Connected City When: February 5 @ 7:30 am – 9:00 am Where: Grand Street Cafe Learn how the…

Unimpeded support for Kansas’ angel tax credits floods Topeka

It appears area entrepreneurs and business leaders are unanimously agreed on at least one thing: Kansas’ Angel Investment Tax Credit program must endure. About a dozen people converged on Kansas Legislature Wednesday to voice unopposed support of the program, which has spurred significant growth in Kansas’ tech and bioscience sectors. The program — as represented…

Google Fiber offering free gigabit to low-income homes

Access to the Internet is almost universally agreed to be a defining sign of progress in third-world countries. Yet millions of citizens across the U.S. still sit on the wrong side of the digital divide. The vast majority of these citizens have one thing in common: they live in low-income households, where cost outweighs the…

KU to host area startups for career day

The University of Kansas on Wednesday announced its largest-ever multi-disciplinary career fair for startups in the Midwest. The Startup Job and Internship Fair — set for March 1 — will connect students studying everything from engineering to design with startups from Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. The fair is open to any and all area small…

Arredondo: Area universities, startups must collaborate for talent pipeline

The following is an open letter from Startland News community builder Adam Arredondo to area universities. Dear Kansas City-area university leaders, I’ve spent a lot of time working with both students and representatives from many area universities over the last few years. It’s been an eye-opening, roller coaster of a learning experience which has driven…

Flyover Capital continues its deal streak with Illinois startup

Kansas City-area venture capital firm Flyover Capital is continuing its first quarter investment tear. Leawood-based Flyover recently added the fifth company to its portfolio, joining other investors in a $4.1 million Series A round to fund Agrible, an Illinois-based ag tech startup. Flyover has extensive agriculture experience and shares Agrible’s belief in growing the Midwest…