Gatekeepers hate to see them coming: Why Back2KC leaders think these outsiders could be the next best Kansas Citians

A Kansas City homecoming movement with a track record of sparking real relocations and startup investment is gearing up for its annual gathering — welcoming expatriates and newcomers alike as it seeks to deepen ties between the city and its far-flung alumni. But the program’s high-octane leader insists the work of Back2KC isn’t just about…

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Meet the Lumi Award winners: Digital Health KC salutes pioneers leading innovation trends

A lot of smart investors are betting on artificial intelligence, said Dick Flanigan, telling a crowd gathered Thursday at Digital Health Day that even if AI doesn’t turn every startup that uses it into a multi-million-dollar company, the technology still will fundamentally reshape health care. “It’s transformational,” said Flanigan, CEO of Digital Health KC and…

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Advocates want a startup-boosting Missouri angel investor tax credit (but they’ll have to beat legislature’s ticking clock)

With about a week left in Missouri’s legislative session, business advocates at NEXT Missouri are making a final push for lawmakers to pass a bill creating a state angel investor tax credit — legislation its backers say could catalyze early-stage business growth and keep entrepreneurial talent and essential startup capital rooted in the state. Jason…

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If you build it, they will come: KC leaders pitch downtown baseball to expats eying a return to home plate

Downtown baseball remains a winning prospect for Kansas City — and the Royals — civic and business leaders told a crowd of former residents who are considering a move back to KC, encouraging them to imagine a homecoming of big league proportions. “I think everyone agrees that Major League Baseball is a downtown sport,” Jon Stephens,…

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Back2KC sets return date for its 2024 homecoming effort, scouting familiar faces to build an even stronger KC

When Back2KC returns this fall, the homegrown talent recruitment initiative will lean on unexpected connections to entice former residents — now out-of-town professionals — to give Kansas City’s recent Golden Age another look, organizers said.  “The biggest win we can have is if these expats and ex-Kansas Citians come back, move their families here, move…

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