Bobby Burch
Recent Articles by Bobby Burch
Amazon to bring 1,000 jobs, huge facility to KCK
Online retail giant Amazon will open a massive new facility in Kansas City, Kan. The Seattle-based company announced Monday that it will create more than 1,000 full-time jobs and construct an 855,000-square-foot fulfillment facility near the Turner Diagonal on I-70 in Kansas City, Kan. “These aren’t just any jobs. They are the best entry-level jobs our…
A marriage of Mr. K’s passions, ‘E Day at the K’ returns July 19
To say one of Kansas City’s greatest entrepreneurs — Ewing Marion Kauffman — loved baseball would be an understatement. The founder of Marion Laboratories Inc., Kauffman purchased the Royals in 1968 to bring America’s pastime to his beloved hometown, Kansas City. Along with boosting civic pride, the Royals became a model franchise, employing “moneyball” statistical…
Sprint Mentor Network triples its impact with local startups
More than 20 Kansas City founders are hoping to boost their businesses with a mentor program tapping a wealth of corporate experience. Now in its fourth year, the Sprint Mentor Network kicked off its program in July to support and accelerate startups by building relationships with corporate executives. The program is hosted at the Sprint…
Continuing its hot streak, PayIt wins national pitch contest
Government tech startup PayIt is on a roll. Only weeks after a earning a commendation from Amazon, the Kansas City-based firm recently won a national pitch competition as part of the annual United States Conference of Mayors. PayIt’s mobile and web app that streamlines citizens’ financial interaction with government agencies beat out dozens of other…
Pear Deck student engagement tech grows with KC expansion
Kansas City is apparently a fertile area for burgeoning education tech startups. Iowa City-based Pear Deck recently opened a Kansas City office to help develop a sales team for its student engagement platform. And Kansas City’s history in supporting successful education tech firms helped Pear Deck leaders make the expansion decision. Pear Deck CEO Riley…
KCSourceLink: Improving startups’ access to capital ‘a marathon, not a sprint’
A year ago, KCSourceLink discovered that area early-stage investors need more connections with each other and the startups they fund. To that end, the entrepreneurial resource hub on Tuesday rallied an array of major investment groups that target startups in Kansas City, building the foundation of a more connected capital community. In total, 15 local…
Missouri Tech Corp. dishes $375K to Kansas City startups
Two Kansas City startups are among a dozen firms in Missouri that have received a total of $2.1 million from the Missouri Technology Corporation. Kansas City-based tech firms PopBookings and Moblico both nabbed matching funds — $300,000 and $75,000 respectively — from the MTC that will boost their operations. “We are supporting Missouri’s thriving innovation…
Science City merger to bolster local STEM education
Officials leading the merger of two non-profit science organizations hope their combined efforts will translate to more STEM professionals in Kansas City. A science museum, Union Station’s Science City is merging with Kansas City-based Science Pioneers to offer complementary science events, activities and programs. The merger — which will be complete July 1 — aims…
$10M earmarked for Kansas City tech talent development
Kansas City’s Full Employment Council is doubling down on its efforts to train techies. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Chris Lu is visiting Kansas City Wednesday as part of the FEC’s announcement that it earned a $5 million grant to train young adults in IT, healthcare, financial services and advanced manufacturing. And thanks to matching…
North Kansas City to receive area’s largest coworking studio
North Kansas City will soon boast the metro’s largest coworking facility. The first shared workspace in North Kansas City, iWerx’s massive 33,000-square-feet facility is scheduled to open in July for entrepreneurs hoping to work in a community of innovators. iWerx also will house a business incubator that hopes foster entrepreneurial vibrancy in North Kansas City….