iKC Invites You to its Closing Session & Celebration!

PHOTO CREDIT: ExploreKansasCity.com

From what we’ve learned after planning multiple events for entrepreneurs and innovators, some of the best conversations happen after the event doors close. And that’s precisely why we are inviting all iKC attendees as well as the general public to join us to the iKC Closing Session immediately after the iKC: The Unconference at 4:15pm at the Alamo Drafthouse downtown (sponsored by Google Fiber!).

What can you expect at the Closing Session? More than the typical event closing...

Drinks, Apps and Networking
What’s a closing ceremony without drinks, appetizers and networking? You’ll work up a thirst and a hunger during iKC: The Unconference, so be sure to walk over to the Alamo Drafthouse immediately after iKC for refreshments and power networking.

Open Mic Awards (Brought to you by the City of Kansas City, Missouri)
Did someone stand out to you during iKC? Did someone contribute something to the unconference and you’d like to give them recognition for it? Did you notice that someone stepped out of their comfort zone and participated in the unconference? If so, we want you to recognize that person! The City of Kansas City, Missouri’s Open Mic Awards gives you the opportunity to reward someone for their iKC participation or contribution during the Closing Session. Simply select a gift, step up to the microphone and speak to the crowd about who made a big impact during the unconference. (Oh, and did we mention we have gifts from Boulevard, Indigo Wild, The Kansas City Chiefs, Z Strike and more?)

The Tech Trek Premiere
We are thrilled to announce that the iKC Closing Session will also feature the premiere showing of The Tech Trek, a Google Glass-enabled documentary shot by local Kansas City entrepreneurs. The premiere starts at 6:30pm. Tickets to The Tech Trek premiere are free to iKC attendees and $10.00 for the general public.

As busy entrepreneurs, we understand that sometimes you just don’t have the time to attend a full-day conference. But if you’re anything like us, you also hate missing out on the action. So even if you are unable to attend iKC: The Unconference on October 3, we want to invite you to our iKC Closing Session. And trust us when we say you won’t want to miss out.

A special thanks to Red Bull, our sponsor for Closing Session beverages and DJ. Also, thank you to Google Fiber, our sponsor for the Alamo Drafthouse arcade. To see a full list of event sponsors, click here.

Announcing the iKC Ambassadors

For the second year in a row, we have teamed up with the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to bring KC an (un)conference unlike any other.  iKC: The Unconference is an open format conference to facilitate collisions between innovators, entrepreneurs, investors and connectors.

Unlike any other event in Kansas City, iKC is all about taking great ideas and turning them into action.  And that’s also where the iKC Ambassadors come into play.  The iKC Ambassadors will not only be in attendance at iKC on October 3, but they will play an integral part in bringing iKC awareness to the community and fostering more collisions and connections both prior to and during the unconference.  

A big thanks to our iKC Ambassadors:

• Sam Bao, Curator at StartupDigest
• Adam Coomes, Kansas City Entrepreneur
• Katie Peterson, Director at iStart, Manager in Networks and Innovation at the Kauffman Foundation
• Perry Pucetti, President and CEO of Triple-I
• Carrie Royce, Founder of Shabby Hats and Prodigy Arcade
• Ryan Weber, President of KCNext–The Technology Council of Greater Kansas City 

In addition to our Ambassadors, iKC: The Unconference will also feature a 1-on-1 UnMentor program.  Current UnMentors include Keith Bae, Pat Doherty, Dr. Julie Edge and Ryan O’Connell.  Stay tuned as we announce more UnMentors in the coming weeks.  Attendees can sign up to be mentees of the UnMentor program by filling out the online application.  In order to apply for the 1-on-1 program with one of our UnMentors, you must purchase an iKC ticket. 

iKC: The Unconference takes place on October 3, 2013 at H&R Block World Headquarters in downtown Kansas City.  A big thanks to our iKC Location Sponsor, H&R Block and the iKC Agenda Creation Sponsor, Husch Blackwell.  A special thanks to our newest sponsors including Centrix Innovations, Kansas City Business Magazine, Adopt-a-Highway, Inboun, CBIZ and Microsoft BizSpark.  To see a full list of sponsors, click here.

Get tickets to iKC: The Unconference!

Just 1 Month Until iKC: The Unconference!

Kansas City’s newest unconference, iKC, is one month away! Have you purchased your tickets yet? Submitted your ideas? Gotten involved? Now’s the time to do it!

iKC: The Unconference takes place on October 3 at H&R Block World Headquarters. And if you’re anything like us, you simply cannot wait. In order to ease your anticipation, we encourage you to do a little preparation. This year, iKC 2013 will be powered by you, the attendees, through topics submitted through our IdeaScale platform. The ideas that are submitted will then be turned into unique breakout sessions like unpanels, Q&As, short format presentations and more.

Want to get involved with iKC: The Unconference? Partner with us! Join outstanding supporters like H&R Block, Garmin, CommunityAmerica, Google Fiber, Sprint, Inboun, Mazuma Credit Union and Park University.

And be sure to stay tuned to the @iKC2013 Twitter feed for more info about the unconference like new sponsors, speakers and ambassadors.

QUICK LINKS:

• Purchase tickets
• Become a sponsor
• Submit an idea

iKC: The Unconference Tickets Now Available!

We are thrilled to announce that tickets for iKC The Unconference, taking place at H&R Block World Headquarters this October, are now officially on sale! If you’re unfamiliar with an unconference, here’s the brief run-down: an unconference is an open-format conference in order to facilitate activity, conversations and collisions between individuals. Attendees actively create the unconference agenda with the assistance of a skilled facilitator where all the sessions become relevant and engaging.

Unlike like your run-of-the-mill conferences, unconferences adhere to four strict (un)written rules:

1. Whenever it starts is the right time. Whenever it is over, it is over.
2. The people who come are the right people.
3. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened.
4. If you are not learning or contributing, it is your responsibility to use your own two feet to find someplace where you are (The Law of Two Feet).

If you’re seeking great collisions with unexpected results, iKC The Unconference is the event for you. After you’ve purchased your tickets be sure to submit your ideas to the ideascale so you can contribute to an agenda worth your undivided attention.

If you would like to get involved with iKC: The Unconference, consider becoming a sponsor!  Join outstanding supporters like CommunityAmerica, H&R Block, Garmin, Google Fiber, Mazuma Credit Union, Sprint and Park University.  Learn more about sponsorship here. 

Purchase your tickets to iKC: The Unconference right here!

KC Startup Crawl Returns as Part of 1Week KC

When you peel back the thick layer of barbecue and jazz that covers Kansas City, you’ll find a city bustling with entrepreneurs and their startup companies.  The entrepreneurship community in Kansas City is strong and quickly growing. So much so that it’s difficult to keep track with who is doing what and where.

Luckily, back in February, a solution to that issue was created: KC Startup Crawl--a one-night tour of Kansas City’s budding companies and entrepreneurial resources. Now Startup Crawl is back in version 2.0!  This time around, KC Startup Crawl will take place on Friday June 28, 2013 as a part of 1Week KC.

1Week KC is a six-day entrepreneurial celebration in which entrepreneurs can come together, get inspired, learn and connect, all the while fostering the goal of making Kansas City America’s most entrepreneurial city.  1Week KC will take place June 25-30, 2013.

Think Big is hosting two events during 1Week KC.  The first is our involvement in Startup Crawl 2.0!  We are joining Google Fiber, The Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City Startup Village and others to once again be a stop on the crawl.  Don’t be shy!  Stop by Think Big during Startup Crawl to learn about our amazing startups and network with some successful Kansas City entrepreneurs. 

KC Startup Crawl 2.0 organizers ask that all attendees sign up for the free event so that they are able to provide sufficient amount of beverages and transportation. And though it may be sad that the crawl ends at 9pm, there is an after party immediately after!   

Our second event during 1Week KC is through a partnership with the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and fellow entrepreneurs in Kansas City. It’s no secret that we love waffles, so just as in past years we will be hosting Startup Waffles on Friday, June 28 at our coworking loft! 

Cancel your appointments, call the baby sitter, take off work early and join us on Friday, June 28^th for KC Startup Crawl 2.0 and Startup Waffles!  See you then. 

Think Big Partners and The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Announce iKC: The Unconference on October 3, 2013

Last year, Think Big Partners and The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce held the very first iKC conference--a day-long even dedicated to Kansas City innovation and entrepreneurship.  We are extremely excited to announce a second iKC conference in the works.  Introducing--iKC: The Unconference! 

iKC: The Unconference is a day-long unconference that will be hosted at H&R Block World Headquarters on October 3, 2013.  The main mission of the unconference is to enable a higher level of “collision density”, the level of collisions made between entrepreneurs, investors and connectors in a single area.  At this time, collision density is 20 times less likely to occur in Kansas City than it is in San Francisco because entrepreneurs, investors and connectors are too spread out geographically.  iKC: The Unconference will solve this issue by uniting a large number of individuals under one roof to turn innovative ideas into actionable items. 

“We’ve seen great success come out of unconferences in cities such as Austin and Boston,” said Sarah Snyder, meeting planner and event organizer at Think Big Partners.  “After seeing firsthand the power of organic community-driven discussions and relevant collaboration, we are eager to bring this refreshing format to Kansas City to help improve the collision density of our community.”

To carry out its mission, iKC will take the form of an unconference.  An unconference is an open-format conference in order to facilitate activity, conversations and collisions between individuals.  iKC: The Unconference asks individuals to submit topic ideas before the conference.  A few days prior to the day of the conference, an agenda will be distributed based off of the submitted topic ideas.  Unconference sessions can take on many different formats including short presentations, group discussions, show and tell, “unpanels” and more.   After the sessions are complete, iKC: The Unconference will host Open Mic Awards in which attendees can publicly award prizes to standout community leaders as well as a networking after-party. 

In addition to the unconference format, iKC will also be hosting a 1-on-1 program for new entrepreneurs.  Entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply for the 1-on-1 program in order to meet with local, high-level mentors throughout the day of the conference.  To apply for the 1-on-1 program, visit www.ikctheunconference.com.

“In 2011, the KC Chamber launched the Big 5 goal of making Kansas City ‘America’s Most Entrepreneurial City,’ and, since then, there’s been no looking back,” said Jim Heeter, president and chief executive officer of the KC Chamber. “Each of our Big 5 goals for Big KC leverages assets already in place and each has great potential for adding to our regional economy.  iKC supports our vision of gaining global recognition for Kansas City as a premier location for launching and expanding innovative, high-growth companies, and does so in an unconventional way.”

iKC: The Unconference is currently looking for leaders in the Kansas City community to get involved through sponsorship opportunities.  To learn more about these opportunities, please visit www.ikctheunconference.com. 

iKC: The Unconference will take place on October 3, 2013 at H&R Block World Headquarters in downtown Kansas City.  Tickets for the unconference will go on sale August 1, 2013.  To purchase your tickets and learn more about iKC: The Unconference, please visit www.ikctheunconference.com. 

We hope to see you at our first ever unconference in October! Stay tuned...more details will be leaked along the way