KCITP Turns 4 This Wednesday at Snow & Company

KCITP, Kansas City's large group of IT professionals, is turning 4 years old on Wednesday...and they're ready to celebrate not just the anniversary, but the growing success of the group, too.

Not only has KCITP's membership grown steadily throughout the past 4 years, but it has grown to numbers higher than anyone would have expected.  The group has just under 9,000 members!  KCITP has helped to foster new relationships in the Kansas City IT community and give back a little at the same time.  Through multiple events, social media efforts and philanthropic initiatives, KCITP is making a statement in Kansas City...a big statement. 

But KCITP wasn't always 8,500 members strong.  The group started (like many groups do) on professional networking site, LinkedIn.  After accumulating hundreds of members interested in meeting face-to-face, KCITP finally became an physical group with multiple meet-ups throughout the Kansas City area.

This Thursday, join KCITP as the group celebrates its 4 year anniversary at one of our favorite KC hotspots (or should be say coolspots?), Snow & Company.  Register now for yummy appetizers, drink specials and high-powered, technical networking.

Congratulations, KCITP! 

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

A Typical Day at bizperc

bizperc has been filling up with creative entrepreneurs and innovative ideas fast these past few months. So what does bizperc look like on a typical coworking day?  Why don’t we take a look at Tuesday – just another normal day in this wonderful Kansas City coworking space! 

Interested prospective drop-ins took casual tours of bizperc’s many floors throughout the day, while the small conference room was rented out by Snow & Company, a new frozen cocktail bar that is opening in September in the Crossroads District.

While the Think Big Partners team was busy brewing all-you-can-drink coffee for bizperc tenants, Coty Beasley, a bizperc punch-card holder, was busy working on his Beasley Creative projects and interacting with fellow entrepreneurs. 

While Nathan Benjamin of PlanetReuse was busy joining the Board of Reuse Alliance (a huge congratulations to our first floor tenant!  Way to go, Nathan!), Josh Coleman of Zaarly stopped by to cowork and interact with the folks at Snow and Company and Branden Connolly of Evenergy Events and Sponsorships.

All the while, Sarah Snyder of Think Big Partners was busy cleaning up after the Women’s Capital Connection event that took place on the 6^th floor the night before.

Busy, busy, busy. Just another day at bizperc!   

In addition, bizperc has recently added a brand new sound booth on its 5^th floor space.  Entrepreneurs now have the opportunity to utilize this sound booth for voice-over capabilities and much, much more.  Just another bizperc perk that the coworking space brings to entrepreneurs, collaborators and visionaries!



bizperc's sound booth located on the 5th floor.

Written by Allison Way and Genevieve Alander.

@AllisonThinkBig    @GennaThinkBig

Snow & Company: Bringing the Beach to Kansas City

Imagine it: You’re lounging on the beach, eyes closed, skin tingling from the blazing sun.  The crashing of the waves and breeze in your hair lulls you into an afternoon doze.  Then you wake and look to your left to find a strawberry margarita, complete with a little pink umbrella just waiting to be slurped down.  You grab it; the glass’s condensation stinging your fingers.  You take a big gulp.  That’s when you realize: this is paradise.

But then you wake up.  You find yourself sitting at your desk, in front of your computer, surrounded by your coworkers.  Your swim suit is now a business suit.  Your lounge chair is now a rolling one.  The fantasy is over.  And more than anything, you want to be on that beach slurping down that strawberry margarita.

The truth of the matter is, we can’t bring everybody in Kansas City to the beach.  But we can bring a little of the beach to Kansas City.  And it all starts with one of Kansas City’s newest downtown establishments, Snow & Company.

In September of 2011, Andy Talbert and his team of ultra-entrepreneurs are launching Snow & Company, an artful frozen cocktail bar in the Crossroads District of downtown Kansas City.  With a snowy theme, yet a “warm and comfortable” atmosphere, Andy hopes that Snow & Company will become the place for friends to hang out and enjoy specialty frozen cocktails both in the heat of the summer and in the frigid winter.

“Kansas City is growing and evolving into a cocktail town,” says Andy. “The cocktail space is a huge opportunity.  We want to continue the growth of the clever, creative cocktail experience in Kansas City.”

Andy and his business partner, Jerry Nevins, recently graduated from the UMKC Bloch Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.  Once they found the “time” to follow their true passion, they collaborated with two other entrepreneurs and wrote the Snow & Company business plan.  And from then on, the company...well...snowballed.  With interest from many different media outlets such as the Kansas City Star, Snow and Company is truly taking off.

“Kansas City is a great place to take this risk,” says Andy.  “This probably wouldn’t be possible in other cities.  Kansas City provides great resources like the Kauffman Foundation, Think Big Partners and the Bloch School to help entrepreneurs like us.”

Snow & Company is opening at 1815 Wyandotte Street in the Crossroads District of Kansas City.  Complete with lounge furniture, a frozen cocktail counter, and merchandise displays, Snow & Company will be accented with wintery colors and bright hues of purple, maroon and orange.  The overall ambiance of the frozen cocktail lounge will be high-end and modern, yet relaxed.

But it isn’t the location that makes Snow & Company what it is.  Obviously, it’s the cocktails.

“We want to introduce people to things that they would never try otherwise,” says Andy.

So what will it be?  The classic margarita?  A refreshing mohito?  A surprising frozen PB&J? Or perhaps the unique Jalapeño Lemonade?  Snow & Company plans on serving it all—it’s all part of bringing a bit of the beach to downtown Kansas City.   

Be sure to check out Snow & Company on Facebook and follow the company on Twitter for more updates about the company and its grand opening! 

Written by Allison Way

@AllisonThinkBig

KC Businesses Help People Beat The Heat

The relentless heat wave has taken a hold of Kansas City.  Weather reports say KC has been experiencing above average temperatures consistently since July 13th.  I feel every time I climb into my car the temperature gage spits out a reading of 100 degrees or more.  During a heat wave like this I find myself actively seeking any and all things cool!  Check out these KC businesses that are working hard to help Kansas City beat the heat.

Stay Cool at the Pool

If your ideal way of cooling down means jumping into the pool, then head for the Jones in downtown KC.  Take a dip in their rooftop pool and enjoy a refreshing cocktail.  Feeling more adventurous?  Gather up some friends and head to Oceans of Fun or Schlitterbahn for a day at the water park.  In case you’re in need of a new swimsuit, Swim Quik and Swimwear Solutions can outfit you for all your water apparel needs.

Cold Cravings

Nothing can compare to a frozen treat on a hot summer day.  I am longing for the opening of Snow & Company in the Crossroads.  Their soon-to-be-open artful frozen cocktails sound like the perfect way to end a long hot day work.  But in the mean time my obsession has been frozen yogurt.  Two great places that I frequent are Yogurtini and Peachwave.  Both have a variety of delicious flavors and toppings that keep you coming back.  Frozen cocktails and yogurt, you can never go wrong with ice cream or Popsicle.  Stop longing for the ice-cream truck to wander down your street, instead book a Frosty Treat Ice Cream Truck for you next summer event or party.

What do you do to beat the heat?  Let us know what Kansas City businesses you frequent during the hot summer months. 

Written By Laura Goede

@LauraGThinkBig