Volunteer Opportunity at Hackovate Health Finale

Would you like to give back to the KC innovative community?  Now's your chance!  Hackovate Health, Kansas City's health-focused innovation competition, is looking for volunteers to help out at the finale on February 26!  

Become a part of the Hackovate Health team by volunteering at Hackovate Health as a time keeper during presentations, checking attendees in at our registration table, handing out awesome Hackovate swag or moderating the Extreme Screen doors.  

Interested?  Email Emily at  emily.leeper@thinkbigpartners.com and become a part of the growing movement of healthcare innovation! 

Learn more about our volunteer opportunities by following Hackovate on Twitter at @Hackovate.

Tips for Young Marketing Communications Professionals in Kansas City

Wednesday evening, Kansas City’s International Association of Business Communicators (KC/IABC) held a Rising Stars Marketing Communications panel.  Communication employees and interns from all over the Kansas City area gathered at the Granfalloon to hear advice from some of the best in the biz – Mike Goff, Eric Morgenstern, Terry Pulliam and Lori Wiles.  I left the panel with great advice to share with others out there who are passionate about marketing communications:

Impress Employers

In this fast-paced society, technology is constantly changing.  So if you’re in the job market, be willing to show potential employers that you’re eager to learn any task ahead of you – even if it isn’t in the job description.  A tip from panelist Terry Pulliam: If you’re not challenging yourself at work, you’re not moving forward in your career.  Employers love to see employees constantly working hard and trying new things.

Market Your City

Mike Goff was in agreement with the rest of the panel – Kansas City is, for lack of a better term, awesome.  However, Mike does believe the city and its citizens need to brag a little more about just how great it is!  “A lot of talent from the nearby universities feeds into Kansas City,” he said. “We’ve got to be marketing our marketing.”

Don’t forget to give back!

When working in a boast-worthy place like Kansas City, it’s important to give back to it as well!  Apart from a career, volunteering is a great opportunity to give back to the community.  It allows you to learn new skills you may never have the chance to use in the workplace.  If your job is strictly marketing, you can volunteer to plan an event for a local nonprofit you’re involved in to gain the experience. 

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or still earning your communications degree, KC/IABC has the advice for you. Check out the organization’s next event – a professional development lunch focused on tips for better storytelling Thursday, August 16 at Brio Tuscan Grill.

The Gigabit Challenge Calls for Volunteers at Jan. 18 Finale

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR
This morning, The Gigabit Challenge posted a call for volunteers on its social media sites.  The business plan competition is looking for volunteers who want to get involved during The Gigabit Challenge Finale on January 18, 2012 at the Kansas City Public Library (Plaza Branch).  


The Gigabit Challenge is currently looking for volunteers to help with registration, the information table and auditorium monitoring during the pitch presentations.  Volunteers will have the chance to get up-close and personal with Gigabit Challenge contestants, judges and advisory board members and get a behind-the-scenes look at the Finale event.


If you're looking to get involved in The Gigabit Challenge Finale, become a volunteer!  Email Laura Goede at lgoede@thinkbigpartners.com for more information and to sign up for a shift.  


It's partners, organizers and volunteers like you that make events like The Gigabit Challenge Finale a success!  We couldn't do it without hard workers like you. 


Follow The Gigabit Challenge! @GBChallengeKC
Follow Laura! @LauraGThinkBig
Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Big Business at Age 15: Youth Entrepreneurs

It's the volunteer opportunity for any entrepreneur: help a high schooler start a business!

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why didn’t I start this business earlier?” 

Of course you have.  Every entrepreneur wishes that they would have started just a little bit earlier.  But as many of you know, the hardest part of entrepreneurship is the first step.  The plunge.  The launch.  It’s a scary time.  And maybe you could have been more prepared for it.

Youth Entrepreneurs is now giving you the opportunity to help future entrepreneurs start earlier.  This organization teaches free enterprise fundamentals through hands-on experiences and encourages students to start their own businesses, enhance their business skills for future career opportunities and continue into higher education.  And now you can be a part of the experience.

Youth Entrepreneurs is seeking business professionals in Kansas and Missouri to become business plan advisors for local high school students. In this economy, donating money may be difficult, but donating a few hours of your time is a great alternative. Mentoring can make a huge difference in inspiring a student to succeed in their future business career. As a business plan advisor, your guidance can help shape the future generation of entrepreneurs.

In order to learn more about Youth Entrepreneurs and the incredible mentors that have joined the organization, I talked to Emily Morrow, a Youth Entrepreneurs business plan advisor and HR generalist at CommunityAmerica Credit Union. 

“[Youth Entrepreneurs] is a routine mentorship opportunity that lets me touch the lives of kids,” she says.  “[This organization] gives them hope.”

At CommunityAmerica Credit Union, Emily has plenty of volunteer opportunities.  In fact, CommunityAmerica Credit Union donated over 3,500 hours of volunteer work last year alone.  But when it came to choosing her volunteer path, Morrow decided to work with Youth Entrepreneurs because it allowed her to provide students with innovation and forward-thinking strategies. 

“These kids have a passion for their plans,” Morrow says.  “I want to help them think outside of the box.  The kids have great ideas and I want to help them expand on them because it could turn into a real-life future business for them.”

Are you doing your part in the Kansas/Missouri community this year?  If not, this is your opportunity to get out there and enhance the lives of children and the world of startups.  Get involved today! 

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer for Think Big Partners.  To read more of Allison’s work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner and her articles on Helium, eZine and BrooWaha.  Follow Allison! @AllisonThinkBig