Austin Barnes
Recent Articles by Austin Barnes
Digital Sandbox KC is expanding into more surrounding Kansas City suburbs. The business incubator has partnered with the City of Independence and the Independence Economic Development Council to help early-stage entrepreneurs grow their businesses in the municipal directly east of Kansas City. Digital Sandbox — which provides up to $25,000 to area businesses for specific projects…
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The City of Kansas City, Mo. is again asking for entrepreneurs’ help. Kansas City is now accepting applications for the 2016 Innovation Partnership Program, which provides an avenue for entrepreneurs to develop, test and demonstrate solutions to improve city operations. The city will accept program applications for only 30 days — from July 13 to August 15.…
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“Hey, can I borrow you and your truck this weekend?” It’s a question dreaded by truck owners everywhere, and in April of 2015, it made Ben Jackson regret ever buying his 1999 Ford Ranger. Jackson — and his truck — had just finished an exhausting day helping friends make four hauls across Manhattan, Kan. The…
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All good things — or in this case inexpensive things — must come to an end. Google Fiber will soon nix early-access pricing for its gigabit business service and will more than double its costs for new customers in August. Google Fiber — which first arrived in Kansas City in 2012 with residential service —…
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Online retail giant Amazon will open a massive new facility in Kansas City, Kan. The Seattle-based company announced Monday that it will create more than 1,000 full-time jobs and construct an 855,000-square-foot fulfillment facility near the Turner Diagonal on I-70 in Kansas City, Kan. “These aren’t just any jobs. They are the best entry-level jobs our…
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A majority of Kansas City startups choose to maintain their hometown roots after they raise capital — even when the funds come from outside investors, a recent survey found. Of the companies that raised money in 2013 and 2014, 74 percent of them are still active and headquartered in the City of Fountains, according to…
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Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Nearly every day I open my email to see a report telling me that Kansas City is on its way to reaching its goal of becoming the most entrepreneurial city in America. The “City of Royals” has been crowned everything from a top…
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To say one of Kansas City’s greatest entrepreneurs — Ewing Marion Kauffman — loved baseball would be an understatement. The founder of Marion Laboratories Inc., Kauffman purchased the Royals in 1968 to bring America’s pastime to his beloved hometown, Kansas City. Along with boosting civic pride, the Royals became a model franchise, employing “moneyball” statistical…
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More than 20 Kansas City founders are hoping to boost their businesses with a mentor program tapping a wealth of corporate experience. Now in its fourth year, the Sprint Mentor Network kicked off its program in July to support and accelerate startups by building relationships with corporate executives. The program is hosted at the Sprint…
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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 The Lean Lab Friday Pitch Event When: July 8 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Where: Sprint Accelerator Every Friday, each team…
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