Think Big Partners Takes Midwest Startups on Flyover Field Trip to Silicon Valley

Think Big Partners has invited a number of Midwest startup companies to participate in what has become known as the Flyover Field Trip.  The Flyover Field Trip is a Think Big initiative that connects entrepreneurs to investors from tech and startup hubs such as Silicon Valley, Boston and New York.  The event is a highly-intensive, three-day pitchfest for Midwest startups hoping to get their businesses on the map. 

“In this highly-connected digital global economy, the Flyover Field Trip will bridge the gap between good ideas and funding sources,” said co-founder of Think Big Partners, Herb Sih.  “Instead of launching a startup company and hoping investors show up on Demo Day, we are taking a Midwestern-based, common sense approach to the situation.” 

In order to prepare the selected startups for the Flyover Field Trip, Think Big Partners is hosting a three-day Pitch Camp this week at its coworking space, bizperc.  Through peer dynamics, the PRISM process, question-and-answer sessions and intense pitch coaching, Pitch Camp will groom and perfect eight to ten different decks and pitches for the Flyover Field Trip at the end of March.   

“Why should only good ideas from Silicon Valley, Boston and New York get the funding attention?” asked co-founder of Think Big Partners, Tyler Prochnow.  “Great ideas come from every part of the country, including the flyover states.” 

“The Midwest offers some great things that are very important to entrepreneurs,” said Sih.  “We have a great quality of life, reasonable living costs, a collaborative mindset, combined with Midwestern sensibility.  Not to mention, we have strong work ethic.” 

Think Big Partners’ first Flyover Field Trip will take place March 21-23, 2012 in Menlo Park, San Francisco, Mountain View and Palo Alto, California.  On the Flyover Field Trip, a group of Midwest startups selected by Think Big Partners and Silicon Valley Bank will attend the Silicon Valley Seed Showcase, a briefing on WebFWD and Mozilla Ignite programs, the Think Big Showcase and much more.  To learn more about the Flyover Field Trip, please visit http://www.thinkbigpartners.com/events/flyover-fieldtrip.html.  

Kansas City Startups Make Appearances at 2012 SXSW: LiveOn, AgLocal and Think Big Partners

There's no doubt about it: Kansas City is on the startup map.  From the Kauffman Foundation to Google Fiber, from Think Big Partners to KCSourceLink, Kansas City entrepreneurship is beginning to make make a name for itself.

And now, Kansas City entrepreneurship is on its way to Austin, Texas for South by Southwest (SXSW) from March 9th-13th.

LiveOn: Finalist for Technical Achievement Award
South by Southwest chose LiveOn among four other Finalists to compete for the Technical Achievement Award, which recognizes projects that are "re-inventing and re-defining the technical parameters of our online experience". This recognition has arrived three months after LiveOn launched its public beta site and four months after LiveOn was named a Global Entrepreneurship Week 50 company of 2011.  The awards event will take place on March 13, 2012 in Austin, Texas and will coincide with the annual South by Southwest Interactive festival.


AgLocal: Competitor in Innovative Web Technologies

AgLocal, an Overland Park startup, was chosen from more than 670 companies as one of the 48 that will participate in the SXSW Accelerator program.  The startup will compete in the Interactive Web Technologies portion of the Accelerator on March 12th-13th in Austin.  AgLocal is a marketplace that connects independent farmers and producers with the demand of local businesses and consumers.  

Think Big Partners: StartupBus Participant

Yesterday, one of Think Big's partners, Blake Miller, was chosen to participate on StartupBus, where he will join a number of other entrepreneurial strangers to launch a startup in 72 hours all in the confinement of a bus traveling at 60 miles per hour.  Blake will join StartupBus conductor Jeff "SKI" Kinsey and other entrepreneurs in Las Vegas and will roadtrip to Austin for SXSW. Along the way, Miller will help the team launch a startup and will have the opportunity to visit Rackspace in San Antonio.  (Stay tuned!  Blake will be live blogging from the StartupBus about his experience!)

Best of luck to those participating in SXSW and for those headed down to the event.  Have fun, get inspired and don't forget to Think Big along the way.

004 Think Big Radio: Live From The Gigabit Challenge

Several short interviews with a few contestants from The Gigabit Challenge Finale.  The Gigabit Challenge was a global business plan competition inspired by Google Fiber's implementation in Kansas City.  The Grand Prize of $100,000 and the opportunity to work on the Google Fiber network was awarded to SEIN Analytics and Asset Management, while the Born Global Prize was given to Kauzu and the People's Choice Award to Paruzia Technologies.  The Finale event took place on January 18, 2012, at the Kansas City Public Library

004 Think Big Radio Gigabit Challenge

Is Google Fiber Fostering a New "Research Triangle"?

Photo: Lucie Debelkova, Business Insider

In the 1950s, three cities distinguished themselves as the Research Triangle—Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina became a hub for numerous high-tech companies and enterprises. The Triangle was also born from North Carolina State University, Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Companies within The Triangle include American Airlines, Cisco Systems, General Electric, IBM, Toyota, Verizon and many others, making it one of the most high-tech areas of the country.


On the other side of the country lies Silicon Valley—an obvious hub for tech startups, investors, entrepreneurs, coworking spaces and technology. The East and West coasts seem to be covered. The same goes for the North and South with booming hubs such as Boston and Austin.

But what about the middle of the country? What does the Midwest bring to the technology table?

Kansas City may be the answer.  After being selected as the city that Google Fiber is to build its 1 Gigabit Fiber network on, the city seems to be exploding with entrepreneurship, startups, innovation, new business and technology.

But the city doesn’t have to go at it alone. Silicon Valley is made up of multiple locations, as is Research Triangle. But what cities will help Kansas City become a hub for tech startups? Could we build a Triangle of our own?

Could the next city be Council Bluffs? According to the Des Moines Register, Council Bluffs, Iowa is undergoing a major Google Fiber makeover. Google is currently seeking federal permission to put a satellite antenna farm near the Council Bluffs data center, a move that experts speculate would enable the company to receive movies and TV shows that could be bundled with the super-fast Internet services in Kansas City.

Could it be Omaha? With major entrepreneurial initiatives such as Big Omaha, Silicon Prairie News and many others, Omaha seems to be taking the startup world by storm. It wouldn’t be too surprising if Kansas City’s next-door-neighbor, Omaha, continued to make major Midwest moves when it comes to entrepreneurship—especially being so close to Google Fiber.

Could it be Chicago? There are so many entrepreneurial initiatives going on in Chicago, it’s hard to keep up. And Kansas City already has made great ties to the Windy City’s initiatives—OfficePort CHI, Entrepreneurs Unpluggd and Kauzu (winner of the Born Global Award of Think Big Partners’ Gigabit Challenge). Chicago would greatly benefit from the Google Fiber network and could help to strengthen the Midwest with its big-city approach.

What do you think? Are there other cities in the Midwest that should strive for entrepreneurial success like Kansas City? Could the Midwest become a hub of entrepreneurship, innovation and technology? We can’t help but say yes—after all, anything seems possible with Google Fiber!

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig
Follow Google Fiber! @GoogleinKC

Think Big Celebrates Black History Month: Top 5 Black Entrepreneurs in History

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR
What better time to acknowledge famous black entrepreneurs than during Black History Month?  As a tribute to this month-long "holiday", we'd like to take a closer look at some of the most famous African American entrepreneurs of our time and how they made it big:

Chris Gardner

1.  Chris Gardner: As the keynote speaker of our first Think Big Kansas City conference, we look up to Chris Gardner because of his persistence, drive and entrepreneurial heart.  Chris Gardner was the inspiration for the movie The Pursuit of Happyness and dug himself out of the trenches of homelessness in the 1980s.  Although Gardner faced many challenges while in poverty, he rose above them all to become one of the most admired entrepreneurs, investors, motivational speakers and philanthropists today.

Oprah Winfrey

2.  Oprah Winfrey:  Oprah isn't just successful...she's also beyond powerful.  Much like Gardner, Oprah had to rise above a rough upbringing before hitting it big with Harpo Studios and The Oprah Winfrey Show.  Oprah is one busy lady: from talk shows, to interviews, to magazines, to TV networks; this entrepreneur has her plate full.  Oprah has become so influential in people's lives, in fact, that the term "The Oprah Effect" has come to fruition, which refers to her opinions and endorsement to influence public opinion.

George Foreman

3.  George Foreman: From the boxing ring to the kitchen, this entrepreneur knows how to battle the competition.  Foreman earned his claim to fame in the professional heavy weight boxing ring, but also from the creation of The George Foreman Grill (also known as the Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine).  This appliance alone has earned George Foreman over $200 million dollars.  Now that's successful entrepreneurship!

Russell Simmons

4.  Russell Simmons:  Phat Farm, Baby Phat, Run Athletics, The Nutty Professor, Def Jams Records.  They all belong to hip hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons.  With so many successful ventures under his belt, Simmons has been identified as an American business magnate.

Magic Johnson

5. Magic Johnson:  Not many basketball players make more money off the court than they do on it.  But Magic Johnson is an exception to this trend.  Magic Johnson is the CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, a company that has a portfolio with franchises such as AMC/Magic Johnson Movie Theaters, Burger King, Starbucks, TGI Fridays, 24 Hour Fitness and Washington Mutual Home Loan Centers.

What black entrepreneurs do you look up to during Black History Month?  Comment below to let us know and happy Black History Month from all of us at Think Big Partners!





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003 Think Big Radio: Inboun with Allison Way

Think Big Radio interviews senior copywriter for Inboun, Allison Way.  Inboun is an inbound marketing startup that offices in Think Big’s coworking space, bizperc.  As a client of Inboun, Think Big Partners utilizes the marketing company for content development, web development, inbound marketing consulting and strategy assessment.  Inboun proclaims that interruption marketing is dying and that it’s time to for brands to play a more engaging and empowering role in the marketing world.  

003 Think Big Radio: Inboun with Allison Way

PART 3: The Evolution of the Mobile Gaming App

PART 3: Giving Your App a Real-Life Spin

For the past few months, we have been reporting on the progress of Mellow Militia’s newest mobile gaming app that we have been calling The Next Social Word Game as well as the company’s other efforts such as Tiki Toss 3D.  Founded by Chris Puglisi and Kyle McGetrick, Mellow Militia is a mobile application startup based out of Kansas City, Missouri.  The company has provided hundreds of mobile app developers inside-information about creating mobile apps (just check out Part 1 and Part 2!).

And now...we give you Part 3: Giving Your App a Real-Life Spin.

Retail-ize Your App

Angry Birds popularized its game by manufacturing cute stuffed animals of their Angry Birds mascots. And when your app gets big enough, giving it a real-life spin can provide additional revenue.  Mellow Militia went this route and has developed physical Tiki Toss Hook & Ring games alongside its mobile app. 

In order to get Tiki Toss’s retail product on the map, Mellow Militia has been traveling to a handful of cities throughout the nation to showcase at trade shows.  Most recently, Kyle traveled to Orlando for Surf Expo and the Orlando Gift Show.  Since launching the hard good product (Tiki Toss), Mellow Militia has secured over 110 wholesale accounts in 16 states, and is growing rapidly.  This most recent show was a huge success, and Mellow Militia was able to get Tiki Toss into 46 new stores and build solid relationships with reps and distributors.  

“The Surf Expo & Gift Shows are extremely successful for us,” said Chris Puglisi of attending tradeshows.  “We’re actually selling these games in 33 different types of stores.  People are responding very well to the Mellow Militia brand.  We introduced hats at the latest shows and sold out of them in the first day. Our existing clients are already asking us for more products!” 

Perfect-ize Your App

In previous blog posts, The Next Social Word Game was undergoing scrutiny from both Mellow Militia and from investors.  And today, the app continues to be perfected.  The team has gone back to the drawing born to rework the game’s design.  Chris, however, states that game will be finalized soon.  And after going back to the drawing board multiple times, it seems as if the game will be ready to go into the development stage!

In tandem with The Next Social Word Game’s release, Mellow Militia has been in design and development with a social photo sharing app that combines the top features of some of the leading photo/camera apps on the market today.  

“We saw a real opportunity to enhance the design and feature-set of the current, popular photo sharing apps like Instagram & Pinterest” says Chris. “We’re really excited about this one – it connects people socially but in a whole different way. We’re in the development phase already, and targeting a mid April release” 

In addition, Chris notes the importance of collaboration in developing these games.  “We've been able to forge invaluable partnerships throughout this experience.  We now have a dedicated team of great engineers and designers to help us build out our ideas.  Developing these partnerships opens up huge possibilities for us."

Real-ize the Potential for More

“I believe that the new app we’re creating will be an Instagram and Pinterest killer,” said McGetrick of the new venture.   

This app is just one of many that Mellow Militia wants to develop this year.  In fact, MM’s goal is 10 new apps in 2012 and to have each app incorporate the “experience continuum” (making apps accessible across mobile, web and on social media). 

“2012 will allow us to play with volume,” said Chris.  “We want each app to stand on it’s own and stay true to our goals of being high quality, fun, engaging and simple to use” says Chris.

Be sure to stay tuned for more information and updates from Chris, Kyle and the Mellow Militia team!  

Want to go behind the scenes?  Check out tips, tricks and strategies for great mobile apps on Chris’s Blog.  

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

002 Think Big Radio: Think Big Partners Update

Whats going on at Think Big Partners?  Get the latest information on several upcoming events including KC2012 innovation and entrepreneur conference, Microsoft BizSpark and Windows Azure, Flyover Field Trip, Silicon Valley Bank Showcase, Think Big Showcase, TBP's first accelerator class and coworking space affiliates.  Stay in the loop and Think Big.

002 Think Big Radio: Think Big Partners Update

001 Think Big Radio: Introduction

Welcome to Think Big Radio!  This is the first episode for Think Big Partners' new Podcast.  In this first episode Herb Sih introduces the podcast and sheds some light on what to expect from the podcast.  Herb talks about why he decided to start a podcast, what the listener can expect to learn and what Think Big Partners is all about.  This episode ends with Herb revealing the secret ingredient in the 'secret sauce'.  Hint: It's all about the people, your network.

001 Think Big Radio: Introduction

Think Big Sponsors the "Juiciest" Event in 2012: GCUC in Austin, Texas

As a leader in Kansas City entrepreneurship, Think Big Partners likes to be at as many startup events as possible; from Big 5 meetings by the Kauffman Foundation, to Social Media Club of Kansas City breakfasts, from Entrepreneurs Unpluggd's first KC event to local startup launch parties.  We love being active in Kansas City, and we couldn't be busier attending all of these entrepreneurial events in the area.

But this year, we're doing things a little different.  We decided to broaden our horizons and make our way down to Austin, Texas as a sponsor for the 2012 Global Coworking Unconference Conference.  

Four years ago, Anna Thomas of Loosecubes noticed that Austin needed a coworking conference.  When entrepreneurs and freelancers began flocking to coworking MeetUps, the idea was confirmed.  This year, Liz Elam, producer of GCUC, is planning an all-day event that will give coworking community members an opportunity to engage with one another, share purpose and passion and refresh energy in the process.  GCUC will host two tracks at once: an “unconference” track with peer-to-peer breakouts for seasoned coworking space owners and a more structured conference track for new coworking space owners.

"Coworking is on the cusp of becoming an actual trend," says Liz of the phenomenon.  "Just look at the growth rate of coworking in Deskmag--it's unprecedented!  We cannot build enough coworking spaces to keep up with the demand."  

According to Liz, attendees of GCUC will leave the conference with three main things: inspiration, connections and knowledge that they are not alone. 

"Entrepreneurs need a community, and coworking spaces provide that," she says.  "You can go to as many networking events as you want, but coworking spaces are where you'll find a support system.  It's crucial for entrepreneurs.  They need someone to believe in them."  

Our own meeting planner and manager of bizperc, Sarah Snyder, will be attending GCUC on March 8th and is looking forward to the networking and the potential of bringing her new coworking knowledge to Kansas City.  

“We were trying to find a way to connect with coworking spaces from across the country and stumbled upon GCUC,” said Sarah Snyder, meeting planner for Think Big Partners and manager of the bizperc coworking space.  “This was the perfect event for us to attend.  Sponsorship was just another way to support the great things they’re doing.” 

According to Deskmag, a coworking magazine, the coworking movement has roughly doubled in size each year since 2006.  This means that GCUC is expecting a packed house at the AT&T Conference Center in the heart of Austin, Texas.  The all-day conference aims to build upon the visions of each community and provide one-of-a-kind opportunities for coworking peers from around the globe.

“I look forward to meeting other coworking space managers, sharing best practices and bringing a fresh perspective of the industry back to Kansas City,” said Snyder.  

To purchase your GCUC ticket or to learn more about the event, be sure to visit http://www.austingcuc.com/.  

Follow GCUC!  @AustinGCUC   #GCUC

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

The Future of the Media Industry (and What Kickanotch is Doing to Save It)

The statistics on Kickanotch's site don't lie:

Google reported $1 billion in mobile advertising revenue in 2010.

Mobile app revenues will triple compared to the year before.

In 5 years, a majority of people will access Internet only through mobile devices.

What does this mean?  It means that if your business isn't mobile, you may not get found.  And Kickanotch makes going mobile not only possible, but also easy.

Kickanotch, a Kansas City-based startup, is a software-as-a-service (SAAS) that allows the media to expand their audiences through mobile app creation and monetization.  You may have heard of hundreds of other companies that do what Kickanotch does, so how does the Midwest startup stand out from the rest?  In order to answer that, we need to focus less on what Kickanotch does and focus more on the problem that it solves.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Kickanotch's marketing manager, Gabe Barnes.  He explained that Kickanotch specializes in saving the media industry by helping them get mobile, fast.

"It's a dying industry," says Gabe.  "People are obviously gravitating now toward mobile.  Kickanotch can help media make the digital a friend as opposed to having to fight it every day."

About 14 months ago, Andy Lynn, founder and CEO of Kickanotch, was hired to find a mobile solution for a local Kansas City radio station.  After pinning down a solution, Andy found that a back-end system would be the best approach to take.  After extensive research and hefty development, Andy and his team created the viable product known as Kickanotch.

The previous paragraph makes it sound like Kickanotch was an overnight success.  But as all entrepreneurs know, it takes more than just a snap of the fingers and a couple of networking events in order to lock down funding, gain exposure and find steady clients.

Lucky for Kickanotch, the startup got a little help.  Andy worked closely with Mike Carter of Carter Broadcast Group and eventually locked down some funding.  Soon after, Kickanotch saw a $1.1 million investment from 42 Ventures out of Salt Lake City.  The Midwest startup continues to work on more deals for the future, as the company (and the industry's need for its existence) continues to grow.

"The hardest part of a startup company is the uncertainty," says Gabe of his day-to-day work life.  "We never know what the future will hold for us.  So, we just take it a day at a time...but as you know, there is never enough time in the day!"

But what about the best part?  "The best part of this company is seeing it be built from the ground up," he says.  "It's amazing to work with clients and to see how lit up they get when they realize how Kickanotch works."


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It's Electric! bizperc's Electronic Whiteboard Makes Startup Note-taking a Breeze

Stop 6 of the bizperc walking tour: the large conference room and electronic white board

Stop 1: Richard Branson Autograph

Stop 2: "Do You Believe in Miracles" Poster and Autograph

Stop 3: The bizperc Business Card Scanner

Stop 4: Green Screen Studio and Audio Booth
Stop 5:  Unlimited Coffee

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

Imagine sitting in a long, 5 hour meeting with your investors, founders, and employees and not having to jot down one note.  Sounds like a make-believe meeting, doesn't it?  Entrepreneurs tend to frantically take down notes during all meetings...and oftentimes cannot read their own handwriting a mere two hours later.  

bizperc solves this tragic note-taking problem.  Introducing: bizperc's electronic whiteboards.

Electronic whiteboards don't just alleviate entrepreneur writing cramps, but they also help startup stay organized and on-the-same-page.  How so?

Electronic whiteboards allow for all notes that are taken up on one prominent whiteboard to be printed out for a group of people at the click of a button.  Using a special marker for the whiteboard, entrepreneurs have the ability to write on the touch-sensitive board that tells the computer what color of marker they're are using.  This technology projects notes onto the screen in the correct color.  These notes can be saved on the printer or sent to a specific email address.  

Sick of taking notes in meetings?  Find yourself distracted with doodling during important gatherings?  Can't quite get on the same page as the rest of the group?  You need bizperc's 4th floor meeting room with electronic whiteboard capabilities.  Call Sarah today to reserve the meeting room or to learn more about bizperc's perks and offers.  Call 816-842-5244 or email us at info@bizperc.com. 

Follow bizperc! @bizperc

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Help Kansas City Become America's Most Entrepreneurial City at Big 5 Meetings

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR
For a few months, we've been hearing about the Big 5; an entrepreneurial initiative set forth by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Kauffman Foundation to make KC America's Most Entrepreneurial City.  But as exciting and intriguing it is to strive for this title, ideas on how Kansas City can actually become the most entrepreneurial region in the nation have been quite vague.

But they won't be vague for much longer.  This week, and continuing on throughout next week, The Chamber and Kauffman are hosting Big 5 events for a Greater Kansas City.

The Big 5 meetings have been built for everyone; entrepreneurs who want to grow a business, business owners who want to start buying from entrepreneurs, bankers and investors who want to start funding, Kansas City citizens interested in helping with job growth, public sector employees, parents, philanthropists, former entrepreneurs, teachers, students.   Like I said, everyone.


The community meetings will foster Kansas City communication and will focus on how to make KC America's Most Entrepreneurial City.

Register today for one of the Big 5 meetings and get ready to start something...well BIG.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

KC Business Magazine Announces 2012 Rising Stars

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR
Last week, KC Business magazine selected 34 of the most promising Kansas Citians to receive a Rising Stars honor.  This program, in its third year, honors the city's most outstanding leaders under the age of 40 in the creative, entrepreneurial, nonprofit and corporate entities.

Think Big Partners' own co-founder, Herb Sih, participated in the program as a judge alongside Steve Booth (PlattForm Advertising), Jerry Jorgensen (Park University), Julius Karash (KC Business magazine) and Jeanette Prenger (ECCO Select).

Congratulations to this year's Rising Stars!  Thank you for dedicating your time and hard work to the Kansas City community.

Clifton Alexander, Reactor Design Studio

Adam Brown, Fun Services

McClain Bryant, Husch Blackwell

Mike Burson, Weitz Company

Matt Clark, Honeywell FM&T

Bryce Davis, UMB Bank

Jessica Dotson, AGENDA:USA

Paul Gutierrez, 17^th & Summit Group

Rachel Hack, Google

Jennifer Hannah, Lathrop & Gage

Jeremy Hegle, U.S. SourceLink

Philip Hickman, Ph.D., Genesis Promise Academy

Zach Hubbard, Block Real Estate Services

Jenny Kincaid, Social WRX

Matt Madden, Google

Anthony Magliano, Quixotic

Kevin Mallot, Netsmart Technologies

Chris Marshall, Callahan Creek

Sarah Martin, Rx Insight

Mark Mazzarese, Pilecap Inc.

Matthew Motsick, Catapult International

Audrey Navarro, Kessinger/Hunter & Co.

Paul Neidlein, Turner Construction Company

Kevin Oldham, United Country Marketing Services

Crispin Martin Rea Jr., Kansas City Missouri School Board

Seamus Smith, Will & Trust Center

Rachel Spear, Morningstar Communications

Jeremy Tasset, Nueterra Capital Management

Tucker Trotter, Dimensional Innovations

Lee Everett Urban, Martin Pringle

Lindsey Wade, rw/2 studios

Lyndon Wade, rw/2 studios

Ryan Weber, KCnext

Keli O’Neill Wenzel, O’Neill Marketing & Event Management

Tomorrow, the 34 honorees will be awarded at a networking and cocktail reception from 6:00 to 8:00pm at Berg Event Space.  Tickets are $30 and are available at kcbcentral.com.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Think Big and Microsoft BizSpark Offer Startups $60,000 in Cloud Services on Windows Azure

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

Think Big Partners, a technology-focused startup accelerator and mentorship-based collaborative coworking space for entrepreneurs, and Microsoft BizSpark Plus have collaborated to offer startups $60,000 in cloud services on the new Windows Azure program.

BizSpark Plus is an extension of the Microsoft BizSpark program, designed to accelerate the success of startups around the world. The program works through select incubators and accelerators such as Think Big Partners to provide value-added products and services to high-potential startups. The BizSpark Plus package will provide startups up to $60,000 of compute and storage per startup for up to two years.

Microsoft BizSpark has selected Think Big Partners among 40 other incubators and accelerators to become a part of its BizSpark Plus Partners global network and will provide exceptional Microsoft offers to the high-growth startups undergoing the Think Big accelerator process. The 40 accelerators and incubators involved in this program have been chosen by Microsoft based on their ability to attract and work with world-class startups. Over time, Microsoft plans to extend additional offers to startups through the BizSpark Plus Partners.

"We are excited about this opportunity," said Herb Sih, Co-Founder of Think Big Partners. "Microsoft BizSpark is a valuable and proven technology solution for entrepreneurs and startups when they need it most. In addition, BizSpark Plus has given Think Big Partners the opportunity to be faster and smarter when it comes to building profitable companies."

Think Big Partners has worked with high-growth tech startups from across the nation that use cloud computing services. According to TechStars, cloud applications are driving the new startup ecosystem and provide startups the ability to drive user adoption, scale their businesses and generate financial returns faster than ever before. Windows Azure will offer a simple and powerful platform for the creation of Web applications and services.

By providing Windows Azure, Microsoft and Think Big Partners hope to help startups grow their businesses by offsetting cloud computing costs so that they can focus their efforts on other business challenges including research, development, investment and promotion. For more information about the BizSpark Plus program, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark/plus.

Follow Think Big! @thinkbigKC

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Why Launch One Startup When You Can Launch Two (or Three...or Four...)?

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

When bizperc tenants first join the coworking space, they expect to come in, launch or grow a business, get inspired and maybe meet a few people along the way.

What many tenants do not expect is to form partnerships, quadruple revenue and launch multiple startups.  But bizperc, unlike most coworking spaces, facilitates that.

Take Coty Beasley and Leo DeLeon for example.  These two entrepreneurs started out working for separate companies in the same office space.  After realizing that they were not in the area that they were supposed to be in (and had "survived the trenches together"), Coty and Leo decided to team up and to move on.  So, the two of them set out on their own entrepreneurial path together.

Coty currently runs Beasley Creative, his own graphic design and web development company out of bizperc.  Leo launched a startup of his own known as Motion Machine Studio, a company that creates animated online videos.  But after working side-by-side for many months, the duo decided to team up to launch Flow with the help of long-time friend and business partner, Oscar Monterroso.

Flow, as described by Coty, is a “full service create group that helps businesses grow by creating digital strategies and image.”  In other words, Flow provides companies with branding and web design (from Coty), video production (from Oscar) and motion graphics and video (from Leo).  Talk about a match made in heaven.

The trio decided to launch Flow in order to push a higher-income clientele.  The new startup has been built for established companies who are looking for unique print, design and web services.  But Flow isn’t the only that keep Coty and Leo busy. 

Recently, the pair decided to launch BrandYourStartup.com, a company that, like its name says, helps startups define and create their brand. 

“We didn’t want to isolate low-budget clients,” says Coty of the venture.  “So, we came up with a system with the same customization, flair and research as Flow, but with a more streamlined budget.  We can provide websites, logos, business cards, logo reveals and online commercials all for under $4,000.”

These bizperc tenants aren’t just innovating—they’re innovating on multiple platforms! 

“We have so much work everywhere,” says Coty.  “We’re trying to develop new ways to increase our cash flow and provide services for everybody.”

Congrats to Coty Beasley and Leo DeLeon for being bizperc tenants of the month! 

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

KC Chamber and Think Big: A Conference Without a Name is an Innovator's Opportunity

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and Think Big Partners are hosting a Kansas City innovation and entrepreneur conference on June 20, 2012...but they need your help in picking out a conference name. 


WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER AND CHIEF EDITOR

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and Think Big Partners are teaming up with H&R Block to host an innovation and entrepreneurship conference and are seeking the community’s help in naming the conference.

The all-day conference, formerly known as the Chamber’s Innovation Conference and Think Big Kansas City will be hosted by H&R Block and will take place on June 20th, 2012, at the H&R Block corporate headquarters building in downtown Kansas City. The mission of the conference is to help build the city of entrepreneurs, to provide startup inspiration for area entrepreneurs and to help foster innovation and creativity in Kansas City.

“There has never been a better time to host an innovation conference in Kansas City,” said Kristi Wyatt, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Programs for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. “With the implementation of Google Fiber, the efforts from the Kauffman Foundation, the presence of the UMKC Bloch School, the Big 5 initiatives and now this conference, we are truly fostering America’s most entrepreneurial city.”

This premiere conference for innovators and entrepreneurs allows for creative minds to come together under one roof to celebrate innovation and entrepreneurship, build the Kansas City startup scene, and find motivation and inspiration to turn ideas into something big.

“This innovation conference is just the first step toward making Kansas City a part of the Think Big Nation,” said Herb Sih, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Think Big Partners. “We believe that by collaborating with other entrepreneurial organizations, seizing local, regional and national opportunities and serving more Midwestern entrepreneurs, we can identify more great ideas, grow more profitable companies and create more jobs in Kansas City.”

In order to foster community involvement, the Kansas City Chamber and Think Big Partners are asking innovators, entrepreneurs and creative minds to submit name ideas for the innovation and entrepreneur conference. To participate, names should be submitted via the KC2012 website by March 2, 2012. The official name will be selected by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and Think Big Partners. The winner of the naming contest will receive a free ticket for the life of the conference as well as other prizes.

Kansas City’s newest innovation conference is also looking for other leaders in the Kansas City business community to get involved through sponsorship or speaker opportunities. To learn more about getting involved, please visit http://www.kc2012.com or call 816.842.5244.


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bizperc Coworking Space Hosts Entrepreneur Showcase Feb. 16

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR


It's that time again: Time for you to check out the startup creation process and the KC entrepreneur scene at bizperc!


At bizperc, we’ve noticed a “coworking craze.”  Entrepreneurs love coming into our space to work with like-minded startups, accelerate with the Think Big Partners team and work in an inspiring and modern coworking space.


We’re changing the way businesses are built...and we want YOU to see it for yourself! 

On Thursday, February 16, Think Big Partners is hosting the bizperc Showcase and group tour from 4:00-5:30PM at 1800 Baltimore (starts on the 4th floor) in the Crossroads District of Kansas City, Missouri. 

At the Showcase, you will have the chance to interactively tour Kansas City’s modern coworking space and business accelerator, get a behind-the-scenes look at the startup creation process, showcase your own entrepreneurial ventures and learn how Think Big Partners is changing the way businesses are built...and why. 

Evening Agenda:

4:00        Meet Think Big Partners: the company that’s building companies

4:15        Tour the bizperc coworking space and see where the magic happens

5:00        Showcase your own entrepreneurial venture on bizperc’s 6^th floor with a gorgeous view of downtown KC

Experience coworking and entrepreneurship on a whole new level.  Register today for the bizperc Showcase powered by Think Big Partners and join us on Thursday, February 16 from 4:00 to 5:30PM: http://bizpercshowcaseFeb12.eventbrite.com.  

Can't make it next Thursday? Don't worry! bizperc Showcases will take place every month! Stay tuned for the next Showcase announcement. 

Questions? Call 816-842-5244, email Ann DeAngelo (adeangelo@thinkbigpartners.com) or Sarah Snyder (ssnyder@thinkbigpartners.com).  

Don’t forget to follow bizperc on Twitter (@bizperc)! 

What goes on at bizperc anyway?  Great question...and we don't blame you for asking.  But with over 60 tenants in our space, the better question is "what isn't going on at bizperc?"  Last week, one of our standout tenants, LightEdge, made some pretty big cloud computing announcements and has opened its data center doors to the world (via online video!).  Check out these cool announcements from LightEdge...and if you run into the team during the Showcase, be sure to give them a pat on the back.


LightEdge Completes SSAE 16 Data Center Controls Examination
LightEdge Data Center Video Tour

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KCCowork Brings Coworking, Collaboration (and Beer Pong!?) to Prairie Village

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

This week, Kansas City's newest coworking space opened in Prairie Village.  The space is known as KCCowork, and its goal is to bring together suburban entrepreneurs, innovators and startups for day-to-day collaboration and networking.

The KCCowork space opened with a bang with a Happy Hour on Wednesday.  With appearances by the Five Elms Capital, Legal Sonar, Think Big Partners, bizperc tenants and other KC entrepreneurs, the Happy Hour proved that Prairie Village was in need of a coworking space.

The evening was laid-back with an interactive famous entrepreneur guessing game, delicious sangria, tours of the coworking space and beer pong.  That's right, beer pong.  

Check out some of the pictures I was able to capture of KC's newest coworking space: 

KCCowork mimics bizperc's bright orange walls. Perfect for creativity. 

KCCowork provides a large kitchen area (and beer pong capabilities!)

Desks facing one another promote entrepreneurial collaboration.

A separate coworking room for the Legal Sonar team. 

KCCowork Happy Hour brings in entrepreneurs for tours and cocktails.

An intense game of "which famous entrepreneur is on my back".

Networking at KCCowork. 

Entrepreneurs and startups already collaborating at KCCowork.

KCCowork also provides private conference rooms.

Bonus!  KCCowork has a gym right down the hall for tenants looking to get buff.

Interested in joinined a coworking space?  Be sure to contact Think Big Partners to learn about the Think Big Nation Network and which coworking space is right for you! 

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What Will SEIN Analytics Do with $100,000 Gigabit Challenge Prize?

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR 

Since SEIN Analytics & Asset Management walked away with the $100,000 Grand Prize at The Gigabit Challenge Finale earlier this year, the Brooklyn-based startup has begun developing plans for 2012 that include hiring, creating deals, marketing and formulating new business structures.

Think Big Partners’ Gigabit Challenge was a global business plan competition looking for new applications to disrupt technology on the Google Fiber Network.  Prizes at the awards ceremony on January 18, 2012, included the $100,000 Grand Prize, which was awarded to SEIN Analytics & Asset Management, the People’s Choice Award, and a $250,000 Born Global Prize.

“I launched our prototype and turned my attention to getting feedback from others,” said Samuel Belu-John, CEO and Founder of SEIN Analytics.  “I looked for places to present our idea to.  I signed up for iStart and saw The Gigabit Challenge. There was a natural fit to what Google Fiber could do and what we were doing.”

SEIN Analytics & Asset Management is a new venture founded by a structured finance veteran and a team of dedicated designers, strategists and programmers. SEIN develops a data-centric cloud application for analyzing and managing asset-backed securities (ABS). The software standardizes loan level data and displays it in an easy to use form that financial institutions and investors can use to track and analyze ABS investments.

In a recent Silicon Prairie News article, Chris Bernard, startup specialist at Microsoft and Gigabit Challenge judge, commented that “...no other company did as good a job of showing how the cloud and fiber could help businesses solve big data problems that were previously the providence of big data centers and deep pocketed customers.”

“When we were watching other presenters [during The Gigabit Challenge], we felt as if our numbers were too small,” said Suk-Hyon Paek, COO of SEIN Analytics.  “But the truth of the matter is, our numbers were realistic.  We were very down-to-earth about our idea.  Everything we presented was based on reality.”

With the $100,000 Grand Prize under their belts, the SEIN Analytics team plans on putting every penny from The Gigabit Challenge into launching their business.  In 2012, Belu-John hopes to hire more developers to assist him in flushing out SEIN.  The rest of the SEIN Analytics team plans to handle the future of the company by focusing on building strategic alliances with potential partners, increasing the deal database, refining the existing pricing models, developing a staffing plan, and creating marketing and sales initiatives. 

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AudioAnywhere Snags PIPELINE Innovator of the Year Award and Saves the Music Industry

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

Kyle Johnson, CEO and founder of AudioAnywhere, walked away with the Innovator of the Year award at the PIPELINE event last week in Kansas City, Kansas.  Johnson was selected after a competition that included a refined business plan, a pitch to an expert panel and a score carried over from performance during the fellowship year.

AudioAnywhere was inducted into PIPELINE’s 2011 class where it underwent an intense startup curriculum that included pitch practice, mentorship and coaching.  The 2012 Innovator of the Year event was Johnson’s final milestone as a participant in the PIPELINE program.

“Winning is an honor,” said Johnson after the event.  “This gives us the opportunity to help out with the PIPELINE program.  With the announcement comes a great deal of expectation and I will continue to be a part of the program.  It’s an honor and an obligation, but I am excited to help out with it.”

According to audience members and judges, Johnson not only prepped to deliver his AudioAnywhere pitch, but he was also ready to engage in lively question-and-answer discussions with judges.

“It was fun being questioned by Lars Perkins,” commented Johnson.  “We had a lively exchange and it entertained the audience.  It was a good interaction.  But at the end, I thought to myself, ‘I’m either first or last!’”

AudioAnywhere, a client of Kansas City-based startup accelerator Think Big Partners, has built an advertising platform to more effectively monetize free media content, which in effect, could contribute to reviving the online music industry.  AudioAnywhere will provide online music sites with better advertisements that generate more revenue per song.  With AudioAnywhere’s solution, the music industry could yield 10 times the income of today’s online audio ads.  WithAudio Anywhere, online advertisements are produced to reach the right target market on sites such as Spotify and Pandora. 

With the Innovator of the Year title under his belt, Johnson hopes to effectively launch and grow AudioAnywhere this year.  Once AudioAnywhere has launched, it will begin to generate revenue and eventually, help online music companies like Pandora and Spotify improve their own financial situations.  Johnson also hopes to kick start his capital campaign and continue his venture capital push. 

“I wasn’t expecting this,” said Johnson of the win.  “A lot of folks believe in our company, but we had no idea we would win.  Now, we can help to save the music industry.”


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How Can Something So Small Create Something So Fast? Google Fiber to the Naked Eye

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

On Monday, Google reported that it was installing “thousands of miles of” fiber optic cable for the development of the super-fast Google Fiber network.  Kansas City could not be more excited.

The lines are currently being installed between Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri and will soon branch out to all Kansas City consumers on both sides of the state line.  Once the fiber is live, Kansas Citians will have access to Internet that is 100 times faster than current broadband solutions.

But what does the Google Fiber look like?  According to Kevin Lo, the Google executive heading up the project, each cable contains many thin glass fibers, approximately the width of a human hair.  Google is currently taking these cables and weaving them into a fiber backbone. It’s a new type of high-speed infrastructure that Kansas City is happy to embrace. Google is then installing these cables into the upper portion of a utility pole (a space that would normally be used for electrical lines).  When officially launched, the Google Fiber network will provide speeds of 1 Gbps.

“We’ve measured utility poles; we’ve studied maps and surveyed neighborhoods; we’ve come up with a comprehensive set of detailed engineering plans; and we’ve eaten way too much barbecue,” said Kevin Lo.

Welcome to Kansas City, Google.

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