Listen: Behind the scenes interview with Hyperloop One exec on Missouri plan

February 1, 2018  |  Bobby Burch

By now you’ve likely seen that Missouri is a top five favorite to land a Virgin Hyperloop One route.

If built in Missouri, the tubular transportation system would move people from Kansas City to St. Louis in 30 minutes, creating a mega-region that combines the state’s biggest cities, said Dan Katz, director of global public policy for Virgin Hyperloop One. Overland Park-based Black & Veatch is now leading a team to study the feasibility of the route along I-70 over the next seven to nine months.

MoDOT’s proposed Hyperloop route

It’s an exciting prospect not only for the economic impact but also the technological achievement it’d represent. Not only could Hyperloop One move people and freight at unprecedented speeds, but it would create a distinct logistical advantage for a region that already benefits from a centralized location.

Startland News sat down with Katz to talk with the Hyperloop One executive about the plan in Missouri, its advantages and disadvantages and the technology behind it. Joining Katz are Michael DeMers, the director of Innovative Partnerships and Alternative Funding, and Dave Leligdon, Black & Veatch’s vice president of major projects.

Listen to the audio story below to learn more about Hyperloop One’s plans.

[adinserter block="4"]

2018 Startups to Watch

    stats here

    Related Posts on Startland News

    ‘Night Without Borders’ opens coffee house doors to honor heritage through harmony

    By Tommy Felts | October 7, 2025

    Culture transcends borders, said Danny Soriano, surrounded Friday night in a popular Crossroads coffee shop by music, dance, art, food, and drinks that all shared a common link: Latino flavor. “Whether it’s Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Argentina, we all come together as Latinos, as Hispanics, and celebrate our heritage,” said Soriano, who organized a…

    KC GIFT orders a full meal with $100K Wah Gwan grant: Job creation (with a side of inspiration)

    By Tommy Felts | October 7, 2025

    Young people on Kansas City’s east side need to see examples of what can be achieved when someone who looks like them works hard — and wins, said Tanyech Yarbrough, pledging to use her recent grant funding from KC G.I.F.T. to mirror entrepreneurship to her community, as well as expand her Troost eatery. Yarbrough’s Wah…

    GEWKC returning to familiar venue (but its new destinations might surprise ticket holders)

    By Tommy Felts | October 7, 2025

    When Global Entrepreneurship Week pulls into the station later this fall, Kansas City participants can expect a fresh experience inside one of the region’s most iconic landmarks, said Callie England, noting an intentional effort behind the scenes should help reroute the “best of the best” events onto custom agendas. “While you’ll see a few familiar…

    Wichita program drives highway of resources to more KC startups; founders tout who they met along the way

    By Tommy Felts | October 6, 2025

    Opening its doors to Midwest companies outside Kansas for the first time, a Wichita-based program that connects startups with the tools to better engage enterprise partners offered an added benefit to Kansas City entrepreneurs: a new ecosystem of support just a few hours from home. “The program’s Wichita location inspired us to broaden our outreach…