Kansas City Startups and Entrepreneurs Make an Impact at SXSW 2013

We've all seen Ram's Super Bowl ad "So God Made a Farmer".  It's all about getting your hands dirty, rolling up your sleeves and doing whatever it takes to accomplish the day's work.  As Kansas City entrepreneurs, we know all about that, don't we?

Today, the "roll up your sleeves" mentality of KC entrepreneurs is more apparent than ever.  Kansas City is making a name for itself as one of the go-getters, get-doners of the nation at one of the biggest startup gatherings this year--SXSW.

How so?  Take a look at some of the things Kansas City, as a up-and-coming startup hub, has accomplished already at SXSW 2013:

• Digital Trends named Think Big Accelerator company TheHub.fm one of its favorite mobile apps launching at SXSW this year.  It wasn't easy to make the list.  Digital Trends only selected 8 mobile apps of the hundreds making an appearance at SXSW.
• Another Think Big Accelerator company, Phone2Action, was selected to participate in the SXSW Interactive Accelerator down in Austin this week.  Jeb Ory and his team at Phone2Action will compete against 8 other finalists in the contest.  Previous Kansas City startups to compete in the SXSW Interactive Accelerator include Zaarly and AgLocal. 
• The ShowMe SXSW bus took off from the Kauffman Foundation last night full of entrepreneurs ready to take SXSW by storm.  Startups on the bus include Click With Me Now and Phone2Action.  The ShowMe SXSW bus was organized by Kauffman, the St. Louis Regional Chamber, Think Big Partners, KU Center for Technology Commercialization, and the EDC of Kansas City and will give Midwest entrepreneurs the chance to experience SXSW first-hand. 
• KC-based incubator Think Big Partners will host #StartupRehab, an opportunity for entrepreneurs to recharge, relax and rest on Sunday, March 10 at SXSW.  Think Big has teamed up with Turnstone, PitchCastr and Microsoft to host the event.  
• Smart Coffee, a new innovation from the team at Think Big Partners, will also be debuted to the startup world at SXSW.  The coffee's slogan?  "The more you drink, the better you think."  How could entrepreneurs not love that?  Smart Coffee will be served at Startup Rehab on Sunday.

So don't be surprised when you run into a Kansas City startup or entrepreneur down at SXSW. There are more KC startups, innovators, entrepreneurs and investors than ever in Austin this year...and for good reason. Here in the Midwest, we know how to get stuff done.  And we can't wait to show Austin.  

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