Bobby Burch
Recent Articles by Bobby Burch
The Bunker Labs KC lands funding to help veteran entrepreneurs
The area’s go-to organization for military veteran entrepreneurs, Bunker Labs KC, will boost its impact in the area with new financial support. The local organization, which is a part of the national network of Bunker Labs, announced Wednesday that it received $100,000 from the Missouri Technology Corporation. The funds will primarily be used to bring…
Fading passion compels in-the-black Creelio to shut down
Kansas City-based storytelling startup Creelio is closing its doors after three years of helping executives write custom content. Founded in 2013, Creelio was born out of a 2012 Startup Weekend competition and led by Julie Edge and Steve Stava. The six-person firm company co-wrote blogs and content with more than 60 area executives, helping them…
Kansas City founders to discuss the ‘Art of Failure’
Most startups fail. But that doesn’t mean that lessons from their demise must fade away with them. Zen and the Art of Failure — set for May 19 at Village Square Coworking Studio — will explore the topic of failure via three local founders’ startup experiences and how they grew as a result. Matthew Marcus, executive director…
Mozilla grants boost local 3D modeling, literacy, STEM
The Mozilla Gigabit Community Fund awarded three Kansas City organizations a total of nearly $60,000 in grants to build gigabit-enabled tech projects. Mozilla gifted the funds to PlanIt Impact, Pennez and the KC Social Innovation Center, which will allow the groups to implement 16-week pilot testing from May 16 to Sept. 4. Mozilla also…
Kansas angel tax credits signed into law
Months of hard work by Kansas City entrepreneurs has paid off. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback on Wednesday signed an extension of the Angel Investor Tax Credits into law, preserving what supporters say is the state’s only financial incitive specifically for startups. The law goes into effect on July 1, 2016. Kansas Senate Bill 149 will…
Shaken and stirred up, entrepreneurs battle Crossroads developer over liquor law
Supporters of a new Kansas City liquor law hope it will put a stop to what they say are anti-competitive practices by a prominent Crossroads Arts District developer. The recently-passed measure — Ordinance No. 160281 — amends portions of city code to increase the number of property owners who can offer consent for liquor licenses…
Kansas City near last place among startup hubs for digital economy readiness
Kansas City’s poor performance in attracting talent and its limited access to investment capital puts it at a disadvantage for the forthcoming digital economy, a recent study found. The national “Innovation That Matters” study analyzed 25 large startup hubs’ readiness for the digital economy, noting that Kansas City has room for significant improvement with its…
Swappa re-homes millions worth of smartphones
About 90 million Americans say they swap out their smartphone every two years, according to a 2015 Gallup study. That means every day about 123,000 used smartphones either find a new owner or a dark home in a drawer, frittering away their value. But one Kansas City startup is already helping thousands of used-smartphone owners…
Kansas City streetcar kickoff syncs with Smart City launch
It’s poised to be a momentous week for Kansas City infrastructure. In addition to the Friday launch of the much-anticipated Kansas City streetcar line, the City of Fountains has officially kicked off operations of its smart city framework. The $15.7 million public-private project aims to transform Kansas City’s downtown into a living lab of Wi-Fi…
Integrated Roadways smart pavement kicks ‘dumb roads’ to the curb
The future of smart infrastructure appears to be budding in the City of Fountains. Kansas City-based Integrated Roadways recently secured a U.S. patent for its “smart pavement” that transforms humdrum roads into the network for the mobile Internet of Things. The smart pavement system features embedded components that provide connected cars wireless connectivity on roads,…