LaunchCode leader: Your city never stood a chance of landing Amazon’s HQ2

By Tommy Felts | November 27, 2018

[Editor’s note: This guest column first appeared on the Silicon Prairie News tech and entrepreneurship blog. It is republished here with permission from the author, St. Louis-based Daniel Fogarty, vice president of growth at LaunchCode, which operates its workforce development program in Kansas City.] [divide] After months of waiting, it’s finally confirmed Amazon will split…

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Advancing women as important now as ever, says STEMMy Awards leader

By Tommy Felts | June 8, 2018

Women leave tech-intensive industries at a higher rate than their male counterparts because of a lack of encouragement and support, said Renee Keffer, citing a 2014 report by Catalyst. The fifth annual STEMMy Awards Gala aims to change that narrative in Kansas City, Keffer, co-chair of the event, said, but organizers need help: Nominations remain…

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April Boyd-Noronha: VR Rocks in KC youth competition at Bloch Venture Hub

By Tommy Felts | May 15, 2018

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. [divide] High school-aged virtual reality enthusiasts from across Kansas City recently gathered for a VRoKCs hackathon at Bloch Venture Hub. I was invited to judge the teams, which each delved into VR — an emerging trend in STEM that essentially allows a user…

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Teenage inventor creates retro game console that fits in your palm

By Tommy Felts | May 11, 2018

For teenage entrepreneur Ernest Pereira, gaming is going small. The 18-year-old innovator is releasing a limited run of his retro game console, the Duinodrive, before shipping off to the Naval Academy in the summer. The Duinodrive — which can fit in the palm of your hand — comes in a kit that users assemble themselves…

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