Bobby Burch
Recent Articles by Bobby Burch
Gratitude inspires study of Arabic, storytelling-mission for Techweek CEO
Polished and poised, Amanda Signorelli is one part executive and two parts storyteller. As CEO of Techweek, Signorelli leads a team whose mission is to highlight and catalyze innovation hubs outside Silicon Valley. Much like Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, Signorelli’s organization is trumpeting the message that a vibrant tech community isn’t exclusive to trendy, Bay…
New Kansas City coworking studio draws Gov. Jay Nixon
While still under construction, Kansas City’s soon-to-be largest coworking studio made its public debut with the visit of Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon. A Democrat from De Soto, Mo., Nixon on Tuesday toured North Kansas City-based iWerx, a massive 33,000-square-feet coworking studio that plans to be open for business in September. iWerx also will house a…
Techweek KC aims for significant growth in 2016
With aggressive goals in mind, Techweek Kansas City is ramping up excitement for its second-annual festival of innovation and entrepreneurship in the City of Fountains. The national tech conference and media firm hosted a countdown party Monday in downtown Kansas City in which Techweek CEO Amanda Signorelli said she hopes to top the festival’s inaugural…
LaunchKC snags hundreds of hungry applicants
The popular grants competition LaunchKC again was met with an enthusiastic response by applicants. The competition — which will distribute $500,000 via 10, $50,000 non-dilutive grants — drew more than 400 tech startup applicants for the second year in a row. A panel of judges are now combing through the applications to find the top…
Top 10 under-the-radar startups in Kansas City
In January, Startland News asked you for help. We wanted to hear from you about Kansas City startups that are operating in “stealth,” either intentionally shying away from attention or those that are simply too busy building. You responded with vigor, and your insights helped inform this list of “under-the-radar” startups. Obviously, “under-the-radar” is a…
Sprint Accelerator graduate acquired by medical giant
A large California-based health care provider recently announced that it acquired Medicast, a graduate of the Kansas City-based Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator program. Providence St. Joseph Health purchased the firm for an undisclosed amount for its logistics and management platform that automates remote care delivery. In 2014, Medicast participated in the inaugural, three-month program at…
Uber finds KCMO’s proposed ride-sharing regulations ‘troubling’
In a move that will likely reignite lively discussions among government, businesses and residents, the City of Kansas City, Mo. is now considering changes to its ride-sharing regulations for companies like Uber. By directive of the Kansas City Council, city officials are reviewing rules drafted in April of 2015 that aim to ensure public safety…
Exclusive: John Fein departing Techstars to lead new $7M Midwest venture fund
After three years with the Kansas City-based Sprint Accelerator, John Fein is moving on to lead a venture fund that has ambitious Midwestern plans. Fein, who’s served as the managing director at the Techstars-led accelerator since 2014, will serve his last day with the organization on July 31. With decades of fast-paced startup experience, Fein…
Mid-America Angels set for second consecutive record-breaking year
The Mid-America Angels is poised to make 2016 a record-breaking year. The area investment group already has deployed $1.7 million via seven deals in the first six months of 2016, setting pace for its biggest year of investment in its ten-year history. In 2015, the firm set a record for its amount of capital deployed,…
KC’s ‘entrepreneurial and innovative spirit’ lures Virgin Mobile HQ move
Kansas City’s entrepreneurial vigor again was cited as the impetus of a corporation’s expansion into the area. Virgin Mobile USA announced Friday that it selected downtown Kansas City for the company’s new headquarters as it relaunches its brand under Sprint. Virgin Mobile expects to hire 50 people in a variety of positions by the end…