Tag: Donald Hawkins

Particle Space

Serial builder uses sensor tech to ‘see’ inside problem-prone properties with Particle Space

By Tommy Felts / March 15, 2019

Passion for building breathes life into a successful startup and the collective ecosystem, said David Biga. “[Builders] are a critical piece to our startup community,” said Biga, founder of Kansas City-based SaaS firm Particle Space. “If you don’t have people who care to build and offer things to those before you — then why come…

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startups kcmo budget

Startup advocates rally, demand KCMO invest more of its $1.73B budget in entrepreneurs

By Tommy Felts / March 3, 2019

If Kansas City leaders want to build a stronger community, they should start by supporting early stage entrepreneurs, said Lesa Mitchell. “I’m simply here to say — we’re not spending enough money … and we need to look at it,” Mitchell, managing director of Techstars Kansas City, told KCMO city council members Saturday during a public…

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Donald Hawkins

KCultivator Q&A: Donald Hawkins chews on sage advice, blood sausage, ‘circle of giving’

By Tommy Felts / January 25, 2019

Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Founders should rally around Kansas City’s startup ecosystem like fans rallied around the Chiefs, said Donald Hawkins. “If you look at a lot of the companies that have scaled — there’s a huge connection gap between…

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Adrienne Haynes, SEED Law

Opening KC to black entrepreneurs begins with teaching startup lingo, tearing down walls

By Tommy Felts / November 19, 2018

Most entrepreneurs operate within silos, said Adrienne Haynes, noting that black-run startups face particular — though not insurmountable — challenges becoming embedded in the Kansas City startup scene. Seemingly approachable community events and coworking spaces aren’t always as open as organizers think, added Quest Moffat, founder of Project United Knowledge, joining Haynes and Donald Hawkins,…

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Felicia and Derek Hatcher, BlackTech Week

BlackTech Week curating GEW conversation between founders with ‘true experiences’

By Tommy Felts / November 8, 2018

Bringing BlackTech Week to Kansas City for a day — and debuting the event series during Global Entrepreneurship Week — seemed like a natural fit, said Denayja Reese. The Miami-based festival draws together black entrepreneur leaders who already are championing the startup hustle of their communities, she said. Powered by Code Fever, which was founded…

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