It's No Secret...Kansas City's Secret Sauce is Back and Bolder Than Ever

In 2009 and 2010, a company known as The Secret Sauce won best barbecue sauce at the American Royal in Kansas City.  And then, we stopped hearing about the sauce.  Bottles of The Secret Sauce started disappearing from grocery store shelves.  As the ingredients for a high quality barbecue sauce continued to rise, the products produced by The Secret Sauce decreased.  A Sauce-a-bition had arisen.  And The Secret Sauce literally became one of Kansas City's best kept secrets.

Until now.

Lucky for Kansas City barbecue lovers everywhere, The Secret Sauce is back...and its bolder than ever before.  The sauce recently launched its first Rock the Post campaign (very similar to Kickstarter).  In the campaign, The Secret Sauce has just 60 days to raise $15,000 for further production of its famous sauce.  The Kansas City sauce startup has already raised $2,500.

"This isn't about building a million-dollar company," said Blake Miller, one of the team members behind The Secret Sauce and partner at Think Big Partners.  "It's a fun project and a great product.  People loved The Secret Sauce.  It's time to bring it back to the hearts and mouths of the Kansas City barbecue community...where it started and where it belongs."

A Secret Sauce-branded Fully charging station.

The Secret Sauce launched its second debut at the American Royal this past weekend.  As one of the most popular stops at the "World Series of BBQ", the sauce startup paired up with Social Smokers, a competitive Midwest barbecue team.  Together, the two hosted a fun Friday night party, American Royal-style (complete with amazing barbecue and of course, killer sauce).

In addition, the spot claimed by Social Smokers and The Secret Sauce also featured a Fully charging station, complete with a Secret Sauce skin (left)!  The Fully charging station allowed for American Royal party-goers and barbecue fanatics to charge their phones during the all-day event for free.  To say it was a hot feature at The Secret Sauce's station is an understatement.

"People loved The Secret Sauce charging station," said Blake Miller.  "It provided great exposure for two Kansas City startups--The Secret Sauce and Fully."

Interested in investing in The Secret Sauce?  You should be!  Check out The Secret Sauce on Rock the Post.  The startup only has until the beginning of December to raise $15,000.  And when you invest, you're in for a saucy surprise.

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How Can Something So Small Create Something So Fast? Google Fiber to the Naked Eye

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

On Monday, Google reported that it was installing “thousands of miles of” fiber optic cable for the development of the super-fast Google Fiber network.  Kansas City could not be more excited.

The lines are currently being installed between Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri and will soon branch out to all Kansas City consumers on both sides of the state line.  Once the fiber is live, Kansas Citians will have access to Internet that is 100 times faster than current broadband solutions.

But what does the Google Fiber look like?  According to Kevin Lo, the Google executive heading up the project, each cable contains many thin glass fibers, approximately the width of a human hair.  Google is currently taking these cables and weaving them into a fiber backbone. It’s a new type of high-speed infrastructure that Kansas City is happy to embrace. Google is then installing these cables into the upper portion of a utility pole (a space that would normally be used for electrical lines).  When officially launched, the Google Fiber network will provide speeds of 1 Gbps.

“We’ve measured utility poles; we’ve studied maps and surveyed neighborhoods; we’ve come up with a comprehensive set of detailed engineering plans; and we’ve eaten way too much barbecue,” said Kevin Lo.

Welcome to Kansas City, Google.

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The South Thinks Big: Introducing Think Big Memphis!

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR 


Kansas City thinks big.  Baltimore thinks big.  And now, it's Memphis's turn. 


The Think Big conference is heading to the South!  After seeing the success of the first annual Think Big Kansas City, the second annual Think Big Kansas City and the first annual Think Big Baltimore, Memphis decided to jump on the entrepreneurial bandwagon, too.  Introducing, Think Big Memphis: The Premier Conference for Entrepreneurs, Investors and Startups! 


This Fall, join Memphis entrepreneurs, startups and big thinkers as the southwestern city we all know for its BBQ, Elvis Presley and the Mississippi River amps up its entrepreneurship and technological growth.  Think Big Memphis will be a jam-packed day in which aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs can come together under one roof to celebrate entrepreneurship, build the Memphis startup scene and find motivation and inspiration to turn an idea into something big.  


Want to become a part of the Think Big Nation?  Contact us at 816-842-5244 to hold the Think Big conference in your city!  Visit http://www.thinkbigkansascity.com for more information.