Austin Barnes
Recent Articles by Austin Barnes
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 SMCKC June Breakfast: Garmin’s Social Media Care When: June 3 @ 7:30 am – 9:00 am Where: Grand Street Cafe Joshua Kennedy…
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Entrepreneurs in Kansas City and around the world have about one month left to apply for LaunchKC, a grant competition that hopes to boost the area’s growing tech sector. LaunchKC will distribute $500,000 — via 10, $50,000 non-dilutive grants — to tech entrepreneurs from around the globe in exchange for their relocation to Kansas City.…
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Area financial tech startup Blooom has another trophy for its chest of commendations. The Leawood-based firm says its online tool to grow users’ 401(k)s has reached $300 million in assets under management in only 20 months. That swelling growth makes it the fastest-growing robo advisor ever — years faster than competitors in New York City…
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Area tech firm Shoutz Inc. has launched a mobile gaming subsidiary that’s working with celebrity recording artist Pitbull. Overland Park-based Shoutz Inc. recently announced the founding of GameRail, which partnered with Pitbull to offer a variety of casino-style games in both English and Spanish. The PitBull Arcade — which features the artist’s image — offers…
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In this week’s roundup of watercooler talk from the region’s startup hubs, we have the dish on Chicago’s booming startup density, Uber and Lyft’s Austin tantrum, and Denver’s No. 3 rank for digital economy readiness. Check out more in this series here. ChicagoInno: How the Merchandise Mart became the epicenter of Chicago tech How…
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Kansas City hopes a pioneering vision for public transportation will help it emerge as the top contender for a $50 million award. Kansas City is one of seven finalists for the “Beyond Traffic Smart City Challenge,” which will dish $50 million to a mid-sized city dealing with rapidly-changing transportation needs. With stiff competition from tech…
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Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Kansas City cannot continue to grow as a tech hub without first establishing a vibrant — and diverse — local STEM talent pipeline. As a community, we’ve put the wheels in motion. For example, about half of metro school districts now offer the…
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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 Startup Waffles When: May 27 @ 8:00 am – 10:00 am Where: Think Big Coworking Are you a founder, hacker or investor…
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Kansas City is diligently continuing work to become the most connected city on earth. Three organizations are now working to create a free, large-scale wireless gigabit network on Kansas City’s east side. The project — led by Siklu Communications, the Urban Neighborhood Initiative and KC Digital Drive — will help eliminate cost barriers to help…
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There’s a new batch of entrepreneurs in town ready to take their companies to the $1 million level. ScaleUp! Kansas City on Tuesday announced its fourth cohort of business owners. The 17 entrepreneurs will spend an intensive four months learning how to scale their businesses through specialized curriculum, coaching and networking. The program offers business…
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