Meghan LeVota
Recent Articles by Meghan LeVota
HEMP welcomes 20 area entrepreneurs for mentorship
The Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program has selected 20 new entrepreneurs from the Kansas City area to take part in its 2016 program. Inspired by Barnett Helzberg Jr.’s mentoring relationship with Kansas City business legend Ewing Kauffman, HEMP matches seasoned area entrepreneurs with promising mentees. The three-year mentoring program aims to offer its participants new opportunities,…
1 Million Cups offers new mobile app
One Kansas City’s most popular entrepreneurial events is offering its thousands of fans an app to increase engagement. The 1 Million Cups community in Kansas City and around the world has long asked for an app, and now it’s becoming a reality, said Jordan Marsillo, 1 Million Cups program coordinator. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation…
Kauffman Foundation, Uber launch grant contest for women-led startups
Female entrepreneurs in Kansas City may not have the luxury of riding a “glass escalator,” but on Oct. 26 they can take an Uber ride for a chance at $120,000. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation on Tuesday announced UberPITCH, a nationwide pitch competition in partnership with Uber and business accelerator The Refinery. Women-led startups will…
5 glimpses into Uber VP Brian McClendon’s crystal ball
Brian McClendon — vice president of maps and business platform at Uber — may reside in Silicon Valley, but his roots are here in the prairie. Originally from Lawrence, Kan., McClendon graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in electrical engineering and now serves on several advisory boards for his alma mater. Sporting…
An innovation ‘bromance’ brews in Kansas City leadership
If a blossoming collaboration between two city leaders is any indication, innovation knows no borders in the Kansas City metro. Bob Bennett, chief innovation officer for Kansas City, Mo., and Alan Howze, chief knowledge office for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., both share a common goal: they believe that open…
Kauffman Foundation offers $25K via ‘1 in a Million’ contest
Think your business is one in a million? The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is offering 1 Million Cups presenters from the last year a chance to snag some cash — and this year they’ve bumped up the prize to $25,000. In its second year, the 1 in a Million competition is open to any firm…
KC startups nab first, second place in national contest
Two Kansas City startups recently reigned supreme in UPS’s inagural Midwest X-Port Challenge. Mobility Designed, a medical device company from Prairie Village, Kan. that is also a 2016 LaunchKC grant finalist, won first place. The startup has garnered international attention thanks a viral video featuring their futuristic crutches. Mobility Designed CEO Liliana Younger said that…
Striving to change KC culture, LiveKC launches app
Millennials now make up the largest portion of the working population. A generation growing up with fast-paced technology in hand, Kansas City will have to move quickly to keep ahead of the curve and to attract and retain young talent. In order to do that, the LiveKC initiative was born in order to make Kansas…
Kansas City to become gigabit testbed with first-in-U.S. infrastructure
Since the arrival of Google Fiber in 2012, Kansas City has been buzzing with excitement about gigabit internet and how it can benefit citizens. Gigabit-fast speeds are convenient for individuals and businesses alike, but one question has remained unanswered: how does a community — especially one trying to build a smart city — take advantage…
KCMO reveals seven innovation partners and inaugural demo day
Mayor Sly James on Tuesday announced seven partners for the 2016 Innovation Partnership Program and the program’s new accelerator-like approach. Now in its second year, the IPP provides select startups with city data and infrastructure at no cost and the opportunity to develop, test and demonstrate innovative solutions for the city. For the first time, the…