What is Going on with Google Fiber (For Real)?

As we all know, Kansas City is on a mission to become the most entrepreneurial city in America. Why not start with lightning-fast internet from Google? 1,100 cities in the US applied and Google chose Kansas City to launch Google Fiber! The Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City hosted an event (with pizza and beer!), called KC on the Map last night to learn more about what we can expect from Google. Rachel Hack (KC Google rep) and Adam Coomes (Kansas City serial entrepreneur) spent the evening discussing the possibilities of Google Fiber and what it means for KC.

Rachel Hack

Rachel Hack, the force behind Google Fiber in KC, explained Google’s vision for Google Fiber. “We’re supplying the infrastructure,” Rachel stated, “It’s [Kansas City’s] job to run with it”.

Google wants innovation; it’s pushing for it. “We want to inspire the next game changer, like YouTube”, says Rachel.

It has taken some time for Google to build its infrastructure, but Rachel says Google Fiber should be ready for business this summer. The gigabit of internet will start in residential areas and public buildings—like schools and libraries—with a possibility of commercial Google Fiber in the future. Google has had to build its customer service department from the ground up, since it hasn’t had to interact with individual customers in the past. Rachel explains, “This is the first time customers will see the face of Google so we 

want it to be good”.

What do we recommend you do right now, Kansas City?  Be patient. 

Adam Coomes

Adam Coomes is a repeat entrepreneur and now business consultant in the Kansas City area. He is also on the Chamber of Commerce steering committee to make KC the most entrepreneurial city in the US. Adam is excited about the possible innovations Google Fiber will inspire.

Adam’s personal startup, infegy, started in his house.  “We would sit in the living room doing hours of coding,” he explains. Since many startups begin in living rooms or basements, Google Fiber in residential 

areas may actually be necessary.

Adam has some advice for anyone looking to start his or her own business: “You need passion. You can learn the other things, but if you have passion, it won’t feel like work”. He also suggests participating in Startup Weekend or other hackathons in the Midwest. So get out there, entrepreneurs, and help KC with its goal!

Who would’ve thought a faster internet connection could spark so much innovation? Google foresaw this outcome, which is why it picked Kansas City. We are ready for the creativity that will flow from Kansas City with the implementation of fiber. With Google Fiber, KC is one step closer to its entrepreneurial goal—and if it’s on the horizon, we’re excited.  

Entrepreneurs, Join the One Week Revolution

This one's for you, entrepreneurs.  Are you ready to join the One Week Revolution?

One Week is a nine-day celebration of entrepreneurship.  It's a week's worth of sharing ideas with hundreds of great thinkers.  It's a time to come together, get inspired, learn and connect.  It's all about making Kansas City America's Most Entrepreneurial City...and you're invited.

This week, the One Week KC site launched with an effort to unite entrepreneurs and build the community.  Taking place on June 18-26, 2012, One Week will bring together innovators, thinkers, purveyors of aspiration and creators of what's next to become a part of something bigger in Kansas City.

One Week will be made up of a large number of Kansas City entrepreneur events including iKC, which will take place on June 20 at the H&R Block Corporate Headquarters.  A full list of One Week events will be unleashed soon.

According to Adam Coomes, organizer of One Week, Kansas City will be the place to be June 18-26.  “There are many reasons One Week should happen in KC.  First of all, we have great entrepreneurial events in KC already.  They build the community...but people don’t know about them," he says.  "One Week KC will help others meet the startup community and bring new people out.  We want to boost the startup scene in KC and use this to lead us toward our ultimate goal—to become America’s Most Entrepreneurial City.” 

For now, you can follow One Week on Twitter using the hashtag #1wkc.  More details soon to come.

One Week KC Presents Entrepreneur Day at the K for Entrepreneurs and Startups

The rumors are true: Kansas City is throwing a 9-day celebration to recognize the city's growing movement of entrepreneurship, startups and innovation.  It's called One Week KC and it takes place on June 18-26, 2012 throughout the entire city.

According to Adam Coomes, organizer of One Week KC, the 9-day celebration is meant to propel the Chamber's Big 5 Entrepreneurial Initiative ahead and to build Kansas City into America's Most Entrepreneurial City.

“There are many reasons One Week should happen in KC," says Coomes.  "First of all, we have great entrepreneurial events in Kansas City already.  Although they build up the community, people don’t always know about them.  One Week KC will help others meet the startup community and bring new people out.  We want to boost the startup scene in KC and use this to lead us toward our ultimate goal—to become America’s Most Entrepreneurial City.” 

As the grand finale for One Week, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Big 5 Entrepreneurial Initiative is helping to host Entrepreneur Day at the K on June 26th.  At "E Day at the K", entrepreneurs are invited to watch the Royals take on the Tampa Bay Rays, network with one another, and tune into special announcements from Mayor Sly James, the Johnson and Wyandotte County Council of Mayors and other area Mayors.

Entrepreneurs in attendance will also have the opportunity to throw the first pitch or watch from the field during batting practice.

Tickets for E Day at the K are $13 for both a Field Box and Field Plaza seat.  The game starts at 7:10pm with mayoral announcements to take place beforehand.

Stay tuned.  More information about One Week and Entrepreneur Day at the K is coming...

Announcing IgniteKC: The 2012 Kansas City Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The contest is over and the ballots are in!

Think Big Partners and Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce have chosen “IgniteKC” as the winner of the naming contest for the 2012 Kansas City conference on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Earlier this year, Think Big Partners and the Kansas City Chamber opened up the naming contest to spark community involvement amongst Kansas City innovators, entrepreneurs and creative minds. From their ideas and suggestions emerged IgniteKC, the new official name of the conference, selected by a committee made up of members from the Chamber of Commerce and Think Big Partners.

“This conference is a step in the right direction for Kansas City,” said managing partner and co-founder of Think Big Partners, Herb Sih. “We hope that the event ignites a collaborative spark between entrepreneurial organizations, large Kansas-City based corporations, small businesses and creative individuals alike.”

IgniteKC is the culmination of the Chamber’s Innovation Conference and Think Big Partners’ Think Big Kansas City with the goal of building Kansas City into America’s most entrepreneurial city. The jam-packed, all-day conference will be hosted by H&R Block and will take place on June 20^th, 2012, at the H&R Block Corporate headquarters building in downtown Kansas City. The conference is dedicated to educating and motivating innovators, entrepreneurs and like-minded individuals by giving them an arena to learn, grow and connect.

IgniteKC is looking for leaders in the Kansas City business community and beyond to get involved through sponsorship and speaker opportunities. To learn more about getting involved, please visit www.kc2012.com (site subject to change) or call (816) 842.5244.

Stay tuned! The IgniteKC website will launch soon with information about tickets, event schedule and more opportunities.

Follow IgniteKC on Twitter! @IgniteKC

Follow me! @LauraGThinkBig

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