iKC Announces Master Your Card Missouri as Presenting Sponsor

Kansas City-based startup accelerator and business incubator Think Big Partners and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce have announced Master Your Card Missouri as the presenting sponsor for the June 20^th innovation and entrepreneurship conference known as iKC.

Master Your Card Missouri is a public education campaign from MasterCard which helps consumers, small businesses and governments get more from their money by using prepaid, debit and credit cards to their advantage.  Master Your Card Missouri uses its innovative technology to run an electronic payment network that delivers instantaneous, affordable and safe transactions through cards. 

The Master Your Card Missouri program is an entrepreneurial approach to the world of payment that aligns with the message that iKC will send this spring.  The program allows for consumers, small businesses and governments to improve awareness of financial inclusion, awareness of financial literacy, negotiation tactics, knowledge of electronic payment processes and technical assistance.

“As a technology company that happens to be in the payments space, customers and cardholders look to MasterCard for cutting-edge advancements in the space, so that they can pay for the things that matter to them in the way that they prefer," said Rob Reeg, President of MasterCard Technologies. "Doing so means skills like being innovative and demonstrating entrepreneurial spirit are crucial for us, and a reason that we’ve chosen to support the iKC 2012 event. As a company with our technology headquarters based in Missouri, we look forward to the valuable content the sessions will offer to attendees, as well as the opportunity to introduce our Master Your Card Missouri public education campaign to help businesses, consumers and governments get more value from the technology we offer.”

iKC, formerly known as The Chamber’s Innovation Conference and Think Big Partners’ Think Big Kansas City, is a day-long conference that will be hosted by H&R Block. The mission of the conference is to foster innovation and creativity in Kansas City, help build the “City of Entrepreneurs”, and provide innovation and startup opportunities for corporations, KC businesses and entrepreneurs.  The conference will take place on June 20, 2012 at the H&R Block World Headquarters in downtown Kansas City.  Think Big Partners and The Chamber are thrilled to partner with Master Your Card Missouri to help foster the growth of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Kansas City area through the creation of a day-long conference.

“The iKC Conference will bring together some of the most innovative minds in the Kansas City region and beyond,” said Jim Heeter, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. “We’re thrilled to have Master Your Card Missouri as a sponsor of this exciting event, which moves us that much closer to our Big 5 goal of making Kansas City America’s most entrepreneurial city.”

To become a sponsor or speaker for the iKC event on June 20, 2012, please visit www.sparkinginnovation.org.  To purchase a ticket, please visit the iKC registration page.

Follow iKC! @iKC_2012

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Big Omaha: The Summer Camp You Never Want To End

Most of us have been there.  Whether it was summer camp, horse back riding camp, sports camp or (for the geeks at heart) science camp, almost all of us have experienced the great outdoors, youth camaraderie and bad hygiene during camp.

And along with the arts and crafts, kayaking adventures and capture-the-flag games, we have also all experienced anxiety before camp begins and sadness after we have to say goodbye to our new friends and counselors.

Silicon Prairie News event coordinator Brittany Mascio believes that Big Omaha gives off these same emotions; anxiousness, excitement and sad goodbyes.

What is Big Omaha exactly?  It's an annual entrepreneurship and innovation conference that aims to share stories and connect the Omaha community with the rest of the country.  But if you ask any member of Silicon Prairie News (the organizers of the event) or any past attendee of Big Omaha, they will be sure to tell you that it's so much more than that.

This year, Big Omaha will take place May 9-11 at KANEKO, located in the Old Market.  The conference will feature 14 keynote speakers, a dynamite MC, plenty of food to go around and the opportunity to check out the Omaha startup scene...not to mention tons of networking and interactive fun.

"Big Omaha is a good place for entrepreneurs and others looking for inspiration to collaborate with one another," said Mascio.  "Big Omaha is at the forefront of what's going on in the tech center."

Big Omaha 2012 will follow the same structure as the 2011 conference, but with a few cool additions.  Although the Silicon Prairie News team wouldn't give all of the secrets away, they did inform us that this year, Big Omaha is adding artists into the mix.  The SPN team hopes that this addition will help the conference promote its theme of inner-connectivity.

So when Big Omaha closes and it's time to head home (tear!), what will you walk away with?  Mascio gave us the inside scoop:

1.  Advice. 
After Big Omaha, you will have a plethora of stories to reflect upon.  All of Big Omaha's 14 keynote speakers will tell founder stories and give an inside look at how to become a successful entrepreneur.

2.  Connections. 
You will leave Big Omaha with more than just a notebook full of entrepreneurial scribble.  You'll also leave with stacks of business cards, informational handouts, major swag and a completely full contact list.  Big Omaha is all about energizing people to connect with other attendees.

3.  Memories.
Just like summer camp, Big Omaha provides unforgettable memories and nonstop fun.  It's a conference that helps many startups out there realize that entrepreneurship can be fun.  It truly is that summer camp you don't want to end.

Unfortunately for you, Big Omaha is completely sold out!  The good news? Silicon Prairie is creating a waiting list for those entrepreneurs who are dying to get a foot in the KANEKO door.  To learn more, be sure to visit http://www.bigomaha.com/.

Follow BigOmaha! @BigOmaha
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Announcing IgniteKC: The 2012 Kansas City Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship

The contest is over and the ballots are in!

Think Big Partners and Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce have chosen “IgniteKC” as the winner of the naming contest for the 2012 Kansas City conference on innovation and entrepreneurship.

Earlier this year, Think Big Partners and the Kansas City Chamber opened up the naming contest to spark community involvement amongst Kansas City innovators, entrepreneurs and creative minds. From their ideas and suggestions emerged IgniteKC, the new official name of the conference, selected by a committee made up of members from the Chamber of Commerce and Think Big Partners.

“This conference is a step in the right direction for Kansas City,” said managing partner and co-founder of Think Big Partners, Herb Sih. “We hope that the event ignites a collaborative spark between entrepreneurial organizations, large Kansas-City based corporations, small businesses and creative individuals alike.”

IgniteKC is the culmination of the Chamber’s Innovation Conference and Think Big Partners’ Think Big Kansas City with the goal of building Kansas City into America’s most entrepreneurial city. The jam-packed, all-day conference will be hosted by H&R Block and will take place on June 20^th, 2012, at the H&R Block Corporate headquarters building in downtown Kansas City. The conference is dedicated to educating and motivating innovators, entrepreneurs and like-minded individuals by giving them an arena to learn, grow and connect.

IgniteKC is looking for leaders in the Kansas City business community and beyond to get involved through sponsorship and speaker opportunities. To learn more about getting involved, please visit www.kc2012.com (site subject to change) or call (816) 842.5244.

Stay tuned! The IgniteKC website will launch soon with information about tickets, event schedule and more opportunities.

Follow IgniteKC on Twitter! @IgniteKC

Follow me! @LauraGThinkBig

Innovation & Entrepreneurship Conference Naming Contest Comes to Close Tomorrow!

KC2012. We know you can do better than that, entrepreneurs. 

Think Big Partners and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce are excited to host this year's innovation + entrepreneur conference in Kansas City.  And although the two organizations are fully prepared for a jam-packed, all-day conference, they are turning to innovators, entrepreneurs and creative thinkers to name the big event. 

So, creative minds, it's time to think big.  We're asking you to do what you do best: dig deep, get inspired and put a name tag on this conference's chest.  After all, it belongs to you. 

Submit your name ideas for this innovation and entrepreneur conference, which is to take place on June 20th at H&R Block World Headquarters.  If your idea wins, you will win a free ticket to the conference plus some other cool prizes.  Submissions for the naming contest are due tomorrow at 11:59pm.  

Help us build America’s most entrepreneurial city.  Follow the link to submit your conference name idea and to learn more: www.kc2012.com.


*Winner will be announced March 7, 2012! 


Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig
Follow the conference! @KCCon2012

KC Chamber and Think Big: A Conference Without a Name is an Innovator's Opportunity

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and Think Big Partners are hosting a Kansas City innovation and entrepreneur conference on June 20, 2012...but they need your help in picking out a conference name. 


WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER AND CHIEF EDITOR

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and Think Big Partners are teaming up with H&R Block to host an innovation and entrepreneurship conference and are seeking the community’s help in naming the conference.

The all-day conference, formerly known as the Chamber’s Innovation Conference and Think Big Kansas City will be hosted by H&R Block and will take place on June 20th, 2012, at the H&R Block corporate headquarters building in downtown Kansas City. The mission of the conference is to help build the city of entrepreneurs, to provide startup inspiration for area entrepreneurs and to help foster innovation and creativity in Kansas City.

“There has never been a better time to host an innovation conference in Kansas City,” said Kristi Wyatt, Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Programs for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. “With the implementation of Google Fiber, the efforts from the Kauffman Foundation, the presence of the UMKC Bloch School, the Big 5 initiatives and now this conference, we are truly fostering America’s most entrepreneurial city.”

This premiere conference for innovators and entrepreneurs allows for creative minds to come together under one roof to celebrate innovation and entrepreneurship, build the Kansas City startup scene, and find motivation and inspiration to turn ideas into something big.

“This innovation conference is just the first step toward making Kansas City a part of the Think Big Nation,” said Herb Sih, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Think Big Partners. “We believe that by collaborating with other entrepreneurial organizations, seizing local, regional and national opportunities and serving more Midwestern entrepreneurs, we can identify more great ideas, grow more profitable companies and create more jobs in Kansas City.”

In order to foster community involvement, the Kansas City Chamber and Think Big Partners are asking innovators, entrepreneurs and creative minds to submit name ideas for the innovation and entrepreneur conference. To participate, names should be submitted via the KC2012 website by March 2, 2012. The official name will be selected by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and Think Big Partners. The winner of the naming contest will receive a free ticket for the life of the conference as well as other prizes.

Kansas City’s newest innovation conference is also looking for other leaders in the Kansas City business community to get involved through sponsorship or speaker opportunities. To learn more about getting involved, please visit http://www.kc2012.com or call 816.842.5244.


Follow Think Big! @thinkbigKC
Follow the Chamber! @KCChamberNEWS
Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Thinc Iowa Amplifies Midwestern Entrepreneurship

It's no secret that there are a lot of entrepreneurial initiatives going on in Kansas City: Google Fiber, the Kauffman Foundation, The Gigabit Challenge (just to name a few).  Sometimes, we can't seem to keep up with it all.  But even when things seem to get so hectic, so busy and so exciting, we still have to take the time to look beyond the Kansas City community to glance at the booming entrepreneurial movement that's happening throughout the Midwest.  From Chicago to Omaha, St. Louis to Indianapolis. 

But you didn't think we'd be talking about Des Moines, Iowa, did you? 

This month, Des Moines will be a city hard to ignore.  Not only is entrepreneurship making leaps and bounds in this growing Midwestern city, but Des Moines also has an upcoming event sure to blow the socks off of any Midwestern entrepreneur.  It's called Thinc Iowa.

Thinc Iowa (October 20-21) will gather individuals from startups and established corporations across the U.S. for a day and a half of inspiration, idea generation and collaboration.  It's a whole new perspective for the entrepreneurial community from the people behind other knock-out Midwestern events like Big Omaha.

For those of you who can't help but believe that Thinc Iowa may be just a podunk conference in the middle of nowhere...think again.  With powerhouse speakers like Ben Silbermann (Pinterest), Scott Case (Startup America Partnership), Ben Milne (Dwolla), Douglas Olson (Microsoft) and many others, Thinc Iowa is changing the face of Midwestern entrepreneurship.  According to the Des Moines Register, Thinc Iowa's goal is to unite startups and corporations--something that the Midwest needs.

Ready to start thinking big at Thinc Iowa?  Register today!  Tickets start at $199.00...and it will be well worth the investment.  Take one day out of your busy startup week and get connected with some of the coolest entrepreneurs in the Midwest.

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig

Think Big Co-Founders Sit in on Panels at KC Chamber Innovation Conference

The 2011 Innovation Conference hosted by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is blowing it out of the water thanks to the hard work of the Chamber, the contribution of sponsors and partners, the dynamite list of guest speakers and panelists and the great turn-out. 

Think Big Partners' co-founders Herb Sih and Tyler Prochnow participated in two of the panel discussions at the 2011 Innovation Conference this morning. 

[above] Herb Sih as a panelist with Jeff Pfaff of MTB Mobile.  Moderated by Greg Kratofil of Polsinelli Shughart, Birth of an Idea & Seeking Seed Capital answered many entrepreneurs' burning questions.

[above] Tyler Prochnow joins Joel Wiggins (Mid-America Angels), Toby Rush (Rush Tracking Systems), Bruce Richardson (KC Biomedix) and moderator Carolyn Watley (CBIZ & Women's Capital Connection) on the Angel Investing in Kansas City panel.

And the day isn't over yet!  Innovation 20/20, The Future of Kansas City Innovation and a networing reception will round out this year's Innovation Conference.  Tweet the Innovation Conference using #GKCCCINNO and let us know what you think!

Written by Allison Way

@AllisonThinkBig