Holy Zaarly! Bo Fishback Makes Cover of Entrepreneur Magazine

Entrepreneur Magazine saved the best for last: Bo Fishback of Zaarly.

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

When we saw Entrepreneur's final issue of 2011 we couldn't help but yell, "Holy Zaarly!".  There he was; Kansas City entrepreneur and founder of Zaarly, Bo Fashback, gracing the cover of Entrepreneur Magazine for the first time.  According to Entrepreneur, Fishback has become known as one of "the next rainmakers" in the startup world...and for good reason.


Bo Fishback founded Zaarly, a San-Francisco-based startup, when he attended both Startup Weekend Los Angeles and SXSW in the spring.  Since then, Zaarly has raised a $14.1 million Series A round, has grown to approximately 30 employees and is taking over cities nationwide.  Zaarly currently has over 100,000 registered users, 15,000 unique monthly listings and nearly $6 million in offers posted.


But it's not just Zaarly's outstanding numbers and lightning fast startup story that has put the company on the map.  We believe that Zaarly is becoming a testament that successful startups can come from anywhere...including the Midwest.  After all, the company sprouted from Midwestern roots and plans to stay well-grounded in Kansas City.


Zaarly is a company that has proven that incredible ideas do not have to come from Silicon Valley.  Although the company was developed in Los Angeles during Startup Weekend, a large majority of Zaarly's efforts have been put forth in the Kansas City area.  In fact, Bo Fishback spoke not too long at the first Kansas City Entrepreneurs Unpluggd event at the Screenland Crown Center.


Fishback is well-rooted in Kansas City.  As a notorious Kansas City leader and Vice President of Entrepreneurship at the Kauffman Foundation, Bo Fishback can't help but get involved in some of the biggest entrepreneurial efforts that Kansas City has to offer.


Congratulations to Bo Fishback and the entire Zaarly team for making it big!  


Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig 

Bo Fishback of Zaarly Pulls It Off: You Can Be an Entrepreneur and a Great Parent

Work-life balance.  For entrepreneurs, it seems impossible.  How do you keep your family life, your work life and your personal life on the same level?  Bo Fishback, co-founder and CEO of Zaarly (one of the fastest-growing and successful startups of 2011) seems to have mastered it.

In the picture above, something doesn't seem...normal.  Perhaps its Pierce Fishback, Bo's child hanging on the the powerful CEO's frontside.  This picture was taken during Entrepreneurs Unpluggd in Kansas City, where Bo Fishback was featured as one of three keynote speakers for the night.  He discussed the startup adventures of Zaarly for forty minutes while baby Pierce patiently listened to his father, squirmed his arms and legs and sucked on his pacifier.  Throughout the speech, Pierce maybe made two or three peeps, in which his father would look down at him and start bouncing up and down.  The audience, of course, cooed and laughed.

Bo Fishback has shown that even as a full-time, caffeine-induced, email-answering, stressed out entrepreneur, you can also be Mr. Mom.

But the Entrepreneurs Unpluggd event wasn't the first instance where the startup world met Pierce Fishback.  Bo brought his family to Entrepreneur Corner a few months ago during First Fridays in the Crossroads District. It was the perfect blend of family, business and fun.

So entrepreneurs, did Bo Fishback help you change your mind?  Maybe you can do it all. 

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Zaarly, Think Big Partners & OsteoGeneX Come Together at Entrepreneurs Unpluggd KC

Last night's Entrepreneurs Unpluggd event brought together entrepreneurs, social media experts, developers and designers from in and around the Kansas City area for the first time.  The event featured three main speakers from extremely different entrepreneurial backgrounds (Bo Fishback of Zaarly, Tyler Prochnow of Think Big Partners and Debra Ellies of OsteoGeneX).  All three speakers told stories about their entrepreneurial paths and then opened up for a Q&A session.

The Think Big team and I sat in the second row so we could get up-close-and-personal with the speakers.  Lucky for me, I was able to capture a few snapshots of the successful night:

Entrepreneurs Unpluggd organizers Stella Fayman and Tim Jahn.

Bo Fishback (with son, Pierce) talks about his crazy Zaarly venture.

Tyler Prochnow of Think Big Partners: "With the right team of people,
it's possible to build about anything."

Tyler Prochnow of Think Big Partners.

Screenland Crown Center was the perfect venue for an intimate evening.

Networking took place before and after the Entrepreneurs Unpluggd event.

An after party took place at the recently opened Snow & Company bar.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

How to Celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week 2011 in Kansas City

The much-anticipated Global Entrepreneurship Week is here.  That's right; from November 14 until the 20th, you will find entrepreneurs across the globe celebrating their startup ventures by attending entrepreneurial events, participating in business plan competitions and spreading the word of entrepreneurship.

But what will entrepreneurs be doing in Kansas City to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week?  There are a lot of events going on this week, but here are some of our favorites:

1. Entrepreneurs Unpluggd 

Entrepreneurs Unpluggd is bringing their popular Chicago event to Kansas City for the first time.  The event will feature three successful Kansas City entrepreneurs for an intimate evening of storytelling.  Ticket prices have dropped to only $10, so why not celebrate entrepreneurship with Entrepreneurs Unpluggd on Tuesday night from 6:00-9:00 PM?  Register here.

2. Congratulate Startup Weekend Kansas City Finalists

The past weekend, Kansas City's 4th Startup Weekend took place at the Cerner Innovations Campus.  This 54-hour event produced some amazing new businesses.  The top three included Horsebot3k, Bold Predictions and a tie between Dawg BnB and Merry Plate.  Want to read about these companies?  Check out this article.  Although Startup Weekend Kansas City did not occur during Global Entrepreneurship Week, it was the perfect way to kick it off the weekend before.  Congratulate those who participated in Startup Weekend Kansas City during GEW!

3.  GEW Kickoff Event

This event is today--so get out there!  Kansas City is kicking off Global Entrepreneurship Week at Union Station with Curbside Consulting sessions for emerging entrepreneurs.  Join civic leaders and experienced entrepreneurs and learn why entrepreneurship is so important to Kansas City.  Learn more here.

4.  Kansas City Cradle of Entrepreneurs Series: Danny O'Neill

The Kansas City Public Library has been hosting the Cradle of Entrepreneurs for a few weeks now.  During Global Entrepreneurship Week, the series will feature Danny O'Neill of The Roasterie.  The event takes place on Tuesday, November 15th at 7:30 AM.

5.  Kauffman FastTrac Global Women's Summit

In conjunction with Global Entrepreneurship Week, Kauffman FastTrac is hosting the FastTrac Global Women's Summit targeted to aspiring and existing women in business.  The event will drive support for women owned businesses and foster the growth of the number of women entrepreneurs.  This event takes place on Wednesday, November 16th.  

A huge thanks to KCSourceLink for posting all of the events during Global Entrepreneurship Week in Kansas City!  


Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Why The Gigabit Challenge? Think Big Partners Answers

There has been plenty of buzz going around about The Gigabit Challenge.  But with advisory board members like Vint Cerf of Google and Dan'l Lewin of Microsoft, judges like Jeff Chambers of Alterra Bank and Michael Gale of Gramercy Private Equity, a $100,000 startup prize and an open application to all entrepreneurs, what's not to love about The Gigabit Challenge?

We could go on and on about the benefits of applying for The Gigabit Challenge.  But when it all comes down to it, why did we create The Gigabit Challenge in the first place?  What's the story here behind Think Big Partners and The Gigabit Challenge?

To be blunt, there isn't much of a story.  It started with a team of seven Think Big Partners members sitting down at a conference table at the bizperc coworking space.  It seemed like it would be a typical Think Big meeting; colorful Play-Doh was being formed into shapes, Herb Sih was talking a million miles a minute, and the team was scribbling notes in their black notebooks.

But then Google Fiber was brought up.  And the ideas came pouring in.

"How can we, as an organization, take action?"
"How can we involve the entire Kansas City community?"
"How can we foster more innovation with Google Fiber?"
"How can we create more jobs in and around Kansas City?"
"What can we do to help entrepreneurs launch their startup businesses?"

The answer seemed simple; a new business plan competition focused around Google Fiber.  Forty-eight hours later, the first press release went live.

Think Big Partners, first and foremost, kept the entire Kansas City community in mind.  As a team, we wanted to create an opportunity for anyone to get up-close-and-personal with Google Fiber--that's exactly why anybody (or, at least anybody with an idea) can apply for the chance to win $100,000 and work on the Google Fiber network.  We wanted to involve neighbors, friends, family members, strategic partners, competitors, small businesses, entrepreneurs, new startups, high-growth companies, and community leaders in order to foster a community-feel for The Gigabit Challenge.  Anyone is welcome to become a part of it--that's the beauty of our community-driven business plan competition.

Secondly, The Gigabit Challenge exists because we want new innovation to exist as well.  The goal of The Gigabit Challenge is not only to provide entrepreneurs with prizes geared toward launch and success, but to foster more innovation around the Kansas City area.  The Wall Street Journal has also defined us as an IT hub, Entrepreneurs Unpluggd has named us one of the top Entrepreneurial Cities and Forbes has claimed KC as one of the best downtowns in the America.  It's time to embrace these titles.  It's time for the innovation to roll in.

Finally, Think Big Partners wanted to take action...and quick.  With the announcement of Google Fiber coming to Kansas City early in the year, something needed to be done in order to generate Fiber fever.  The Gigabit Challenge was named one of the first Google Fiber initiatives in Kansas City.  And in our opinion, it is also one of the strongest.

So now it's our turn to ask you, entrepreneurs.  Why The Gigabit Challenge?  Why are you putting your best ideas forward this fall and applying for TGC?  There's no time like the present...and the prizes aren't too shabby either.

Think Big with a gig.  Apply today.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Entrepreneurs Unpluggd: Every Section is a VIP Section

Have you ever been in the front row of a concert?  You can see every detail of the rockstar's face.  You get the chance to touch their hands (and never wash yours again, right?).  You can hear their heavy breathing and see the sweat beads on their forehead.  You're up close and personal.  You're a VIP.

But not everybody gets to be a VIP.  There are also people sitting at the very back of the venue.  To them, the rockstar is simply a speck on stage.  They cannot see the rockstar's facial expressions or touch their famous hands.  The back-row attendee's experience is a different one compared to the VIP.  It's not quite as exhilarating.

Which is why Entrepreneurs Unpluggd is hosting an entrepreneurial event that allows every attendee to be a VIP.  The Entrepreneurs Unpluggd event in Kansas City on November 15th will put attendees up close and personal with standout entrepreneurs in the KC area.  It's a day of storytelling, not lecturing.  A day of dialogue, not monologue.  A day of VIP treatment, not back row squinting.

"The Entreprenerus Unpluggd event is much more intimate than your typical business event," says Tim Jahn, co-founder of Entrepreneurs Unpluggd.  "It will be candid and informal.  It's storytelling that comes from the heart."

The Entrepreneurs Unpluggd event, How to Find Your First Customers, will feature three entrepreneurs from the Kansas City area who will tell their own startup story for approximately 30 minutes each.  Speakers at the November 15th event include Bo Fishback (Founder and CEO of Zaarly), Debra L. Ellies (CEO and President of OsteoGeneX Inc.) and our own Tyler Prochnow (Co-founder of Think Big Partners).

"All of our speakers come from different backgrounds," says Stella Fayman, co-founder of Entrepreneurs Unpluggd.  "We leave a lot of time for the audience to ask these speakers questions at the end.  We have found that the audience feels much more comfortable asking the hard questions because they are in a more intimate, personal environment."

But where in the world did an idea like Entrepreneurs Unpluggd come from?  Did it start in Kansas City?  No--but it did originate in our own Midwestern backyard; Chicago.

The first Entrepreneurs Unpluggd event took place in Chicago in February of 2011.  Ever since, Entrepreneurs Unpluggd has hosted four successful events in the Chicago area.  The events were so successful, in fact, that Entrepreneurs Unpluggd decided to expand its speaking events to other Midwestern cities--starting with Kansas City.

"We have a lot of connections in the Midwest, but most importantly, in Kansas City," says Jahn.  "I had the opportunity to meet passionate people at Big Omaha this past year and a lot of them were from Kansas City.  There is so much activity in KC that this all just fell into place!  There is a growing community here."

How to Find Your First Costumers will be an event that no Kansas City entrepreneur will want to miss.  Join the Think Big Partners team and Entrepreneurs Unpluggd at Screenland Crown Center in Kansas City from 6:00-9:00pm for an intimate, VIP event.  Buy your ticket today!

Follow me!  @AllisonThinkBig

KCADC Asks, "Are You Learning as Fast as Kansas City is Changing?"

Last week, the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) published a blog titled “Are You Learning as Fast as Kansas City is Changing?”  We would love to ask you the same question.

From the KCADC blog:

Bill Taylor, co-founder of Fast Company magazine and author of Practically Radical, is a firm believer in embracing the fast pace of the world. In his article, The 10 Questions Every Game Changer Must Answer, Taylor notes that the above question may be the most important to ask yourself. Are you keeping up?

“I first heard this question from strategy guru Gary Hamel, the world-renowned innovation expert, and it is the ultimate challenge for any executive determined to unleash big change in difficult circumstances. In a world that never stops changing, great leaders can never stop learning. How do you push yourself to keep growing and evolving—so your company can do the same? And remember: Among leaders and organizations, the most eager learners tend to be the most accomplished teachers as well. So look for ways to share what you’ve learned.”

— Bill Taylor, The 10 Questions Every Game Changer Must Answer

Kansas City, that’s the boat we’re in. We’re changing. We’re evolving. We’re learning. And with the addition of Google Fiber, we have the opportunity to do it faster than any other city in the nation.

Because of the Google Fiber initiative, our city will be forever changed. Many Kansas City organizations are joining forces with tech innovators to create new apps and businesses utilizing the lightning-speed network, and in turn, a number of big media names have put the spotlight on Kansas City; from the Wall Street Journal (Where the ActionIs – Kansas City) to Entrepreneurs Unpluggd (4Entrepreneurial Cities to Keep Your Eye On), from Forbes (America’s BestDowntowns – Kansas City #7) to Wired Magazine (Google ChoosesKansas City, Kansas as Broadband Mecca).

Is Kansas City learning as fast as the world is changing? Sometimes, it’s difficult to keep up with the speed (not only of the city…but of the Internet too!). So what can we do to slow down, embrace the change and fully understand what’s going on in our city?

It may all start at the Kansas City Area Development Council’s Annual Meeting on November 4^th.  Aptly named FastKC, KCADC’s Annual Meeting will feature keynote speaker Bill Taylor. At the event, Taylor and other Kansas City business and civic leaders will share how light-speed advancements in global commerce will affect business. The event will look at radical ideas and offer practical advice that will help anyone get a jump on the competition.

Join KCADC, Bill Taylor, Mayor Sly James, MayorJoe Reardon and hundreds of Kansas City thought- and industry-leaders at FastKC: KCADC’s 2011 Annual Meeting. Tickets are on sale now: Register today. And when people start asking if you’re learning as fast as the city is changing, you can confidently reply, “Yes.”

Written by Ashlie Hand

@ithinkkc @kc_next

The Hilton President Partners Up with The Gigabit Challenge

Yesterday, we announced that the Kansas City Public Library has partnered up with the Gigabit Challenge and would be the host of the Finale event in mid-January of 2012.  But we have more announcements coming your way—the Hilton President, one of Kansas City’s iconic downtown landmarks, has also partnered with The Gigabit Challenge in order to provide contestants with a comfortable and beautiful place to stay while in Kansas City.

The President Hotel is offering a discounted rate to those judges, attendees and participants looking to stay in the downtown Kansas City area during The Gigabit Challenge Finale.  The President Hotel will also host the Gigabit Challenge kick-off event that occurs the night before the finale.  Not only is the President located in the heart of the thriving downtown Kansas City area, but it is an establishment that has been an entrepreneurial donor the past two years by sponsoring the Think Big Kansas City conference. 

These ongoing partnerships are helping Kansas City become the city of entrepreneurship.  A huge thanks to The Gigabit Challenge sponsors: The Kauffman Foundation, Entrepreneurs Unpluggd, the President Hotel, the Kansas City Public Library and Think Big Ventures.  If you’re interested in partnering for The Gigabit Challenge, please contact Allison Way (away@thinkbigpartners.com) or Ann DeAngelo (adeangelo@thinkbigpartners.com) or call 816.842.5244. 

Written by Allison Way

@AllisonThinkBig

Occupy Wall Street? Instead, Let's Reoccupy Main Street

Occupy Wall Street.  We are the 99%.  #OWS.  The phrases seem to be everywhere.

In fact, the Occupy Wall Street phenomenon reached the streets of Kansas City (right in front of the Federal Reserve Bank) last week.  The Occupy Wall Street movement is spreading throughout the nation--We Are the 99%-encrusted pins, handwritten signs, shouting protestors and all. 

But we're not here to ask you to occupy Wall Street.  We're asking you to do something much different.

We are asking you to Reoccupy Main Street.  Now that's something that we want to fight for.

It wasn't too long ago that Kansas City's Main Street was buzzing with energy; the progressive era brought life and vibrancy to the city with the implementation of the Country Club Plaza, Ward Parkway, numerous downtown taverns and even TWA.  In fact, in the 1940's Kansas City was becoming known as the Crossroads of the World.  Take a look at the picture below for proof.

Main Street, Kansas City, 1936.

But what if the buzz came back?  We think that now is our chance. We are ready to Reoccupy Main Street and bring in a plethora of entrepreneurs, startups, small business owners and even large corporations to live, work and play in the thriving and eclectic Kansas City community.  Big things are happening once again; Google Fiber is making its way to KC, new developments are being executed by the Kauffman Foundation and Think Big Partners, startup companies like Zaarly and LiveOn are igniting and the city is being nationally recognized by media superstars like The Wall Street Journal and entrepreneurial publications like Entrepreneurs Unpluggd and Under 30 CEO.

There's no doubt about it; entrepreneurship is booming in Kansas City.  It will only be a short matter of time that Main Street is reoccupied with new (and flourishing) small businesses, driven and hard-working entrepreneurs, and disruptive technology startups. But we're going to do much more than just wait for that to happen--we're going to make it happen.

Downtown Kansas City.

We encourage you to Reoccupy Main Street.  What does this mean exactly?  Bring your new and innovative ideas to Kansas City.  Provide support to those who are looking to create and innovate.  Work side-by-side with your competition to see how you can better the Kansas City community together (a little thing we like to call co-opetition).  Partner up.  Dive in.  Create some buzz.  We are making a difference in Kansas City just by energizing the city streets with those dreams, ideas and big thoughts that cause us to toss and turn at night  We aren't the 99%.  We are the 100% of Kansas City residents who want to see the city grow, succeed and prosper.  Maybe it all starts with an idea and an opportunity, and we think now is our chance. 

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig

Kansas City Recognized as Innovation and Technology Hub

It's no secret that Kansas City is experiencing a tech boom.  With the announcement of the Google Fiber implementation as well as many other startup and technological initiatives, there is something special going on in Kansas City.  It's something...well...big.
How big?  Why don't we take a look at some of the recognition that Kansas City has received in the past year alone:

-  Kansas City was declared "where the action" is by the Wall Street Journal back in August.  The WSJ announced KC as a city that lures entrepreneurs and trumps other cities in the information technology industry.  In fact, the number of KC tech companies rose by 5% in 2009, outnumbering the growth rates of hubs like Silicon Valley, Boston and Austin.

-  Back in May, Kansas City was also announced as a top market for IT talent by site-selection advisory form KLG Advisors.  The city ranked "very strong" for concentration of IT talent and growth of the IT labor force.

-  Shortly after the KLG recognition, Kansas City was named an information technology hub by Wired Magazine and was recognized for adding thousands of jobs in the infotech industry between 2003 and 2008. 

-  Entrepreneurs Unpluggd then named Kansas City, Missouri one of the four entrepreneurial cities to keep your eye on, mentioning startup initiatives such as Think Big Kansas City, Zaarly, KCSourceLink and Kansas City IT Professionals. 

-  Kansas City was named one of the highest Android App Producing Cities (per square mile) in the U.S. by AppsGeyser in August of 2011.

-  TechAmerica ranked Kansas City the 8th city in the U.S. for telecommunications employment and proclaimed KC to have a higher growth rate for infotech businesses than Silicon Valley, Boston and Austin. 

-  Kansas City ranks among the top 10 "clean-tech" metro areas according to the USA Today. 

-  Even back in December of 2010, Kansas City was named one of the fastest growing startup cities in the world by Startup Digest. 

The recent spur of innovation and technology in KC is allowing the city to become the place for entrepreneurs and startups.  As a business incubator and startup accelerator in the Kansas City region, we see KC as a booming place not just for technology and entrepreneurship, but for job growth and opportunity.  It all starts with Thinking Big (and now, with a gig!).

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig