Bobby Burch
Recent Articles by Bobby Burch
After KCPS pilot, $2.2B Sprint project plans to close the U.S. homework gap
More than 20 million U.S. households do not have an internet connection, according to the PEW Research Center. Pairing that with the fact that schoolwork is more frequently requiring internet access, millions of students around the nation are severely limited in their learning. In Kansas City, the story is no different — hundreds of households remain…
Jaguar Land Rover invests in artificial intelligence startup Mycroft
Mycroft has received a significant boost in horsepower. Only a few weeks after entering 500 Startups, Mycroft has landed a strategic partnership with Jaguar Land Rover. The Kansas City-based artificial intelligence startup is among the first startups to enter the Portland-based Jaguar Land Rover Tech Incubator, which will provide Mycroft with a $110,000 investment and…
KC-based OYO Fitness closes a historically successful Kickstarter
To say that OYO Fitness has a successful Kickstarter campaign would be an understatement. The Kansas City-based fitness firm folded up and then crushed its recent crowdfunding effort, which raised a stunning $659,000 for its collapsible and compact exercise device. OYO’s DoubleFlex Black campaign — which snagged pre-orders from 4,200 backers — was the second…
KC cartoonist captures conversation on immigration and entrepreneurship
Tucked amid a crowd of about 80 people at Think Big Partners Tuesday, Kansas City artist Jasur Rakhimov swiftly sketched a conversation unfolding before him on immigration and entrepreneurship. A cartoon-style artist, Rakhimov stopped by Startland News’ fifth Innovation Exchange that focused on immigration and entrepreneurship to not only share his talents but also to…
Cowork Lee’s Summit to revamp old post office for entrepreneurs
Lee’s Summit is set to receive a large, new coworking space to serve as the city’s entrepreneurial hub. The founder of Community Buying Group, Ben Rao said he will soon close on purchasing the old Lee’s Summit Post Office to convert it into a 13,000 square-foot coworking space named Cowork Lee’s Summit. Without any nearby…
Kauffman Foundation launches initiative to topple startup barriers
During an annual trip to Washington D.C., Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation CEO Wendy Guillies urged the U.S. Congress to take action to eliminate barriers for entrepreneurs to launch new businesses. In her 2017 State of Entrepreneurship address, Guillies said that millions of Americans are being left out the U.S. economy and that trends of dwindling…
Google Fiber losing ‘hundreds’ of employees but continues KC expansion
Google Fiber is reportedly trimming its employee count after announcing its new CEO. Business Insider reports that months after its former CEO Craig Barratt resigned, Google Fiber has hired Gregory McCray as the new leader of Access, the division of Google’s parent company Alphabet that includes Google Fiber. The gigabit provider also will lose “hundreds”…
Kansas City Airbnb hosts may face fees with proposed rules
One year after a public meeting to cull input on “short-term stay” rules in Kansas City, officials have released a proposed ordinance on how Airbnb hosts can operate. The proposal would require that Airbnb and HomeAway hosts in Kansas City, Mo. register and pay annual registration fees for short-term renting of their property, which is…
Conquer for Good aims to be catalyst for KC’s purpose-driven firms
Editor’s note: Startland News is an in-kind sponsor of Conquer for Good and supports its mission to cultivate a community in which entrepreneurs create positive social change. How can Kansas City create a supportive community for its purpose-driven companies? That’s the key question and mission behind an upcoming event that aims to create a vibrant…
Five Elms Capital leads investment round in Atlanta SaaS firm
Five Elms Capital is continuing a streak of deals to kick off 2017. The Kansas City-based venture capital firm announced Monday that it’s the lead investor in MemberClicks, a SaaS provider that helps associations, trade groups and nonprofits manage members. Five Elms — which was joined by New York-based Level Equity as lead investors —…