Bobby Burch
Recent Articles by Bobby Burch
BetaBlox expands to Tulsa, shares 4-year plan
Thanks to a recent fundraise, Kansas City-style innovation is heading south to the Sooner State. After scoring new investment capital, Kansas City-based BetaBlox is expanding its incubator program to Tulsa this summer, bringing with it four years of experience in honing startups. BetaBlox founder Weston Bergmann said his for-equity incubator has partnered with the non-profit…
Weston Bergmann explains BetaBlox and its successful 2016 class
Since launching it in 2012, BetaBlox founder Weston Bergmann has always been impressed by the caliber of firms entering his incubator. But this year, Bergmann said he was blown away by the firms presenting at BetaBlox Demo Day celebration Monday. “It’s kind of cliche to say this class is better than the last, but it’s true,”…
Meet the BetaBlox startups ahead of Demo Day
Kansas City-based accelerator BetaBlox is gearing up for its annual culminating event to highlight startups in its current class. Set for Monday, BetaBlox’s Demo Day offers a stage for its 10 startup firms to pitch their businesses to investors, area residents and fellow entrepreneurs. While also a showcase of its startups, BetaBlox hopes the Demo Day will engage…
The Nerdery launches hiring spree at KC office
Nerds abound in Kansas City. Or at least the Nerdery’s local expansion seems to indicate as much. The software design and development firm has added 14 staffers in the last 18 months and is now launching another hiring spree. The Minneapolis-based firm — which opened a Kansas City office in late 2014 — plans to…
Kansas City Developers Conference cultivates community among techies
Hundreds of hardcore techies are gearing up for one of Kansas City’s largest gatherings of developers. The eighth-annual Kansas City Developers Conference is expecting more than 1,300 attendees from regional corporations, startups and universities on June 22. With a focus on building the Kansas City community, the conference features loads of workshops, panel discussions and…
CEO: Kansas’ politics pushed Pathfinder Innovations into Missouri
Destructive economic and social policies in Kansas compelled Pathfinder Health Innovations’ move to the Show Me State, its founder wrote in a blog post critical of state leaders. A tech service provider for people with autism, Pathfinder received tax incentives for its border hop to Missouri but Pathfinder CEO Jeff Blackwood said the move also…
The Lean Lab will award $100K to education entrepreneurs
Local efforts to inject innovation into education received a boost Friday as The Lean Lab announced fellows in its incubator program will earn seed capital for their projects aimed at disrupting traditional learning. Founded in 2013, The Lean Lab welcomed five new teams of fellows from around the nation for its incubator, which develops…
‘Kansas City Startup House’ aims to be smart home incubator
A local tech founder is transforming his Kansas City, Kan., home to eventually become the area’s next incubator program. Sports Photos founder Brandon Schatz recently launched the “Kansas City Startup Home” to host entrepreneurs and innovators from around the world. While it’s now serving as an Airbnb destination for techies, Schatz said in the next…
New KC streetcar app connects riders to entertainment, nightlife
A local coding school on Thursday released a new mobile application to enable ridership on Kansas City’s popular new streetcar line. The Disruption Institute developed the “StreetcarKC” app, which helps passengers find stops along the 2.2-mile streetcar line, discover locales along the route and access schedule information. Now available only on iOS devices, the app…
New Kansas City emojis feature landmarks, BBQ, Royals
Whether observing a colorful sunset or a sea of humanity in downtown, has Kansas City ever left you speechless? Well — in those trying times of need — one Kansas City firm is helping residents express themselves when words simply will not suffice. Kansas City-based ad agency Single Wing Creative recently released “Emoji My City,” a…