Austin Barnes
Recent Articles by Austin Barnes
The Techstars-led Sprint Mobile Accelerator held its third demo day on Tuesday. Hundreds of Kansas Citians trekked to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts to watch 10 startups from around the world deliver pitches on their tech firms. Learn more about the event and the future of the accelerator here. Check out photos or a…
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The expiration of Sprint’s three-year agreement with Techstars to fund the Kansas City-based Sprint Mobile Accelerator is opening up new opportunities for both firms. Sprint — which has funded the accelerator’s operations for three years while Techstars has managed the program — is now examining support of the accelerator by exploring new corporate and civic…
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Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. After my first four months as CEO of Connecting For Good, I’m compelled to share a viewpoint on what the Kansas City digital divide looks like. Knowing the answer to this question is only the first step to tackling digital inclusion efforts, but…
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Eon Sports VR, a Kansas City-based virtual reality firm, is making waves in the world of professional sports after tapping former New York Yankee Jason Giambi as an advisor. Led by CEO Brendan Reilly, Eon Sports’ tech has been featured by the likes of ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, the MLB Network, Fox Business and…
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In case you didn’t already know, Kansas City startups are a generous bunch. Last week, Startland News asked if any area businesses wanted to participate in a giveaway for those attending the Kansas City Startup Crawl. In true startup fashion, our idea for a giveaway came at the last minute — three days before the…
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School may be out for the summer, but class will soon be in session for area entrepreneurs. The Digital Sandbox KC’s “Summer in the Sand” series has returned for its fourth year of entrepreneurial education and networking. The program — which will feature one event per month from June to September — offers participants the…
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Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Check out more from Grant Gooding here. Your competitive advantage doesn’t exist anymore. Not only is this true but the whole concept of “competitive advantage” as you understand it likely doesn’t exist either. What’s taken its place is a cool new thing called…
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A recent survey of high-net-worth investors in the Kansas City area has found that most could benefit from independent due diligence and improved communication with other investors. The survey — conducted by KCSourceLink and the Alternative Investment Forum spoke with 80 area investors about their activities in early-stage investment. Mark Meyerdirk, founder of the Alternative…
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The organization formerly known as KCnext has announced a rebrand that will make it a fully-independent organization focused on tech workforce development, advocacy and industry access. The newly-formed KC Tech Council announced its name change Friday, marking its departure from the Kansas City Area Development Council. While still partnering with the regional economic development group, 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 Zen and the Art of Failure When: May 19 @ 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm Where: Village Square We’re inviting the Kansas…
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