Meghan LeVota
Recent Articles by Meghan LeVota
Meet Techweek KC’s 2017 LaunchKC winners
After evaluating a lineup of 19 tech startups from across the country, judges awarded eight companies each a $50,000 LaunchKC grant — and one received a grand prize of $100,000. The popular grants contest awarded the non-dilutive grants following the live pitch competition at Techweek Kansas City. In its third year in the City of Fountains,…
Techweek’s future of transportation: ‘Don’t let anything stop you from starting’
Transportation and mobility technology are good examples of the hidden talents of the Kansas City tech community, Darcy Howe said “We have many more mobility companies in Kansas City than you might think, which is a pleasure,” said Howe, KCRise Fund managing director, moderating Wednesday’s Techweek panel. Discussing cars, trucks, roadways and the future of…
1 Million Cups embarks on huge national expansion effort
The entrepreneurial events series 1 Million Cups — a national program born in Kansas City and grown by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation — has set the ambitious goal to expand to 500 communities by the end of 2018. “We’re looking forward to keeping the magic that we’ve already created with 1 Million Cups on…
Tips for overcoming experience gap, building a diverse workforce
When Ariel Banks graduated from the University of Missouri at Rolla in 2014 with a chemical engineering degree, she felt qualified and eager to jump into her career. Unfortunately, Banks spent nearly two years without any luck in finding a job. She found herself being asked time and time again, the dreaded question: “What is…
5 startups enjoy growth, connections with KCMO innovation partnership
Although the government may be pegged as resistant to change, Kansas City Mayor Sly James wants to flip the script. “On a city level, we aren’t having much help from the state and federal governments sometimes,” James said at the Innovation Partnership Program demo day on Monday at WeWork Corrigan Station. “But, we still have…
Photo gallery: With a Boulevard in hand, Techweek pours into KC
Hundreds of techies, innovators and entrepreneurs converged in Kansas City for the third annual Techweek KC conference, which launched Monday and runs through Friday. The Chicago-based conference series, which focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship, returned to the City of Fountains for a five-day conference, expo and festival. It is one of nine such events across…
10 BetaBlox firms to know before demo day
Kansas City-based accelerator BetaBlox announced the 10 companies pitching their companies during the program’s Sept. 23 demo day at The GRID. BetaBlox recently received a grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, as part of the KC Accelerator challenge. The 2017 demo day is sponsored by the foundation, BetaBlox founder Wes Bergmann said. This year’s…
Events Preview: IPP demo day, Techweek, LaunchKC
There are a plethora of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter, or curious community member — we recommend these upcoming events for you. Are you hosting a relevant community event? Add it to the KCSourceLink Calendar for increased exposure. Email info@kcsourcelink.com for assistance. Second…
Techstars Spotlight: Planetarians’ hunger for tasty snacks blooms with Sunflower State secret ingredient
It’s a simple solution: Eat your fruits and vegetables. Treating diseases caused by poor diet costs the United States about $1.4 trillion each year, Aleh Manchuliantsau said. “Fiber and plant protein have been shown to prevent diabetes, heart disease and obesity,” said Manchuliantsau, co-founder and CEO of Planetarians. “But despite the effort to get kids…
Tech startup TVWIZZ puts channel choice in consumers’ hands
You’ve heard it before: Millennials are killing the cable TV industry. With millions of young people “cord cutting” in lieu of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, traditional cable viewership has dropped by more than 40 percent, according to Nielson. For many, it comes down to price, said Michael Hockey, founder of TVWIZZ, a free,…