Inside Kansas City’s Google Fiber Space

This past Saturday, I was fortunate enough to tour Kansas City’s newly-established Google Fiber Space. Located at 1814 Westport Road, right in between KC’s Wesport and Plaza areas, the Fiber Space is a ridiculously awesome, nerd drool-educing neat, techy place that allows Kansas Citians to experience Google Fiber before it becomes commercially available.  The space is open to the public by reservation, which can be made here. I highly recommend checking it out.  The technologies on display are remarkable and exciting to say the least. If you can’t make it however, I took plenty of pictures and some video for your enjoyment.  Take a look: 

"Let's do this for..." is the rallying cry to encourage visitors to pre-register.

The stage doubles as a waiting room and event speaker space.

Inside the Fiber Space, glass walls carry the theme of "100 times the..." to get patrons to think of all possibilities. 

Speed test shows just how fast Google Fiber really is.

This small toy car world serves as an analogy to show how the internet has evolved and where it is going. 

(Top) The 2 terabyte storage box. (Bottom Left) The network box that provides fiber to the home. (Bottom Right) The TV box that will provide endless hours of entertainment.

This was the “Nerd Bot” art piece—an ode to Google’s Android platform. 

This live map keeps track of how many people have pre-registerd per Fiberhood.

A fiber space rep shows how you are able to mimic a laptop screen via in-home wireless.

The OnLive cloud gaming system's full potential can finally be exploited finally (thanks to Fiber!).

This cool mosaic is comprised of Chiefs and Royals player cards. 

A display from Sporting KC shows how Kansas City's soccer team will use Fiber when it becomes available.

Nerding out on so much tech can make a person hungry!  Refreshments and treats are provided by Mud Pie Vegan Bakery. 

Watch the video above for even more Fiber sneak peeks!

How Rush Hour Can Increase Traffic...to Your Site

Admobile’s Technique of Catching You by Surprise at Green, Yellow and Red Lights

We’ve all been there: stuck at that same annoying traffic light that always seems to flash red just before you approach it.  So you wait, look down at your watch, change the radio station, and sigh.  Why do you always hit this red light?  And why does it always take so long to turn green?

But have you ever noticed what you look at when you’re stopped at these red lights?  Do you look at the joggers passing by?  The trees swaying in the distance?  The person idling next to you who (always) ends up looking at you the exact same time that you look at them?

Today, there’s something a bit more exciting to look at when you’re stopped at these red lights:  Admobile trucks.

AdmobileKC, Kansas City’s premier mobile advertising company, operates a growing fleet of dedicated mobile advertising trucks city-wide, delivering powerful exposure for any company’s message.  With clients such as Worlds of Fun, Fox 4 News, Midwest Airlines and Dunkin’ Donuts, Admobile has become the advertising avenue of the new age.



Admobile trucks are seen by over 50,000 people each day!

“What else are you going to do when you’re sitting at a stoplight?” asks Branden Connolly, Vice President of Sales and Operations for AdmobileKC.  “You can’t help but take a look at these moving billboards!”

Apart from running his own Kansas City-based event and sponsorship company, Evenergy, Connolly has been making sales for Admobile for two years, and believes it to be one of the best ways that a company can market themselves.

“The trucks are clean, we drive in high-traffic areas, and the look of the truck stands out next to any other vehicle out on the road,” he says.

Connolly points out that most commuters drive to and from the suburbs, where there is a lack of outdoor advertising (i.e. billboards).  “We’re not trying to replace billboards, we are trying to support advertising,” Connolly says.  “We only use 10-20% of a client’s outdoor budget, so it supports a comprehensive advertising plan.”

The Admobile truck’s twelve revolving ads can be seen in many different Kansas City locations where high-traffic is to be expected.  Keep your eye out for the AdmobileKC truck, especially at hotspots like Corporate Woods, First Fridays locations, Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadiums, and the KC suburbs.

But it’s not just your local Kansas City businesses that are advertising with Admobile.  Recently, Admobile has been catering to internet-based companies that may be interested in “driving” more traffic to their sites.  This concept has made Admobile the perfect avenue for internet startup advertising.

One thing is for sure, Admobile is no ordinary advertising strategy.  And the fact that Admobile is unique is what drives companies to its services.

“It’s important for new companies and entrepreneurs to Think Big like Admobile,” says Connolly.  “As long as you can deliver and Think Big, you can really push the envelope.”

So the next time you’re on your way home from work, cruising downtown Kansas City, or tailgating with friends at a Chiefs game, pay close attention to your mobile surroundings: you never know when the AdmobileKC truck will grab your attention!

Allison Way is a writer for Think Big Partners, Kansas City’s mentorship-based business incubator and startup accelerator.  To read more of Allison’s work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner as well as her articles on Helium, Newsvine, BrooWaha and eZine.

Kansas City Chiefs Become Big-Time Entrepreneurs

Written by Allison Way, writer and videographer for Think Big Partners.

Tonight is the night, Kansas City Chiefs fans: Monday Night Football kicks off when the New York Jets take on the Baltimore Ravens at 6:00C and your Kansas City Chiefs go head-to-head with the San Diego Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium at 9:15C. Football season is finally here, but what else have your Kansas City Chiefs been up to off the field? As a matter of fact, some have been participating in their own entrepreneurial ventures and starting up their own small businesses.

First and foremost, we would like to pay tribute to Lamar Hunt, the founder of the American Football League, Major League Soccer, and North American Soccer League and also the founder and owner of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Wizards. Lamar Hunt also coined the phrase “Super Bowl” when he jokingly threw out the name (instead of using the “AFL-NFL Championship Game”) by combining his daughter’s favorite toy, the Super Ball with a bowl game. As many of us know, the Super Bowl is now the most-watched show in history, thanks in great part to Lamar Hunt. Aside from sports, he also established Oceans of Fun and Worlds of Fun theme parks in Kansas City. Lamar Hunt truly is Kansas City’s Big Chief.

Eddie Kennison, the owner of many small businesses including a restaurant, a telecommunications company, a wine club and nonprofit called Quick Start, is a retired Kansas City Chief. He recently jumped on the executive board of the brand new Social Media Club of Johnson County which co-promotes events and ensures that all members and businesses are provided with social media education.

Former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and inductee in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Warren Moon, has not only had success with the Chiefs, Oilers, Vikings, and Seahawks, he has also found success as an entrepreneur. Based in Irvine, California, Moon’s one-stop sports and entertainment marketing firm called Sports1Marketing offers full services to clients in the area of sports, entertainment, charitable events, and media.

Deron Cherry, a Chief from 1981-1991 became a limited ownership partner in one of the NFL’s new expansion teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars. He is also a managing general partner with United Beverage, which is a local Anheuser-Busch distributor. Cherry also dedicates much of his time visiting universities to give lectures about the importance of entrepreneurship.

Tony Gonzalez was a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and today owns a nutritional supplement company called All Pro Science based in California. His small business sells protein powder, recovery drinks, immune-system boosting supplements, and much more.

Tonight's game is at 9:15 at Arrowhead Stadium.

Will Shields played for the Kansas City Chiefs as an offensive guard. Today, he owns 68 Inside Sports, a gymnasium and sports facility based in Lenexa, Kansas as well as A Will to Succeed Foundation which was organized in 1993.

Fans and entrepreneurs: tonight when you are watching the game, keep in mind that some of the players out on the field may become the next successful small business owners. Not only will many of these players achieve the American Dream through football, but also through entrepreneurship, and of course, by never ceasing to Think Big.