In Case You Missed It! iKC: The Unconference Closing Party Recap

 

After the innovative unconference that is iKC, attendees headed over to the Alamo Drafthouse for the best part: the Closing Party by Google Fiber!

As everyone took their first sips of liquid courage and snacked on delicious appetizers, the Closing Party kicked off with the Open Mic Awards. Attendees awarded each other things like who travelled the farthest for iKC to who tweeted the most about the unconference. Winners walked away with great prizes like Chiefs tickets, bowling games, Boulevard Brewing Company swag and a Garmin watch.

After the prizes were handed out, collisions didn’t stop even though iKC was technically over. Closing Party attendees kept having meaningful conversations and interacting, just like they had been at the unconference. Party-goers snacked, sipped and continued to enjoy each other’s company, forging even more connections to create a better Kansas City.

Andrew Stanley, entrepreneur and founder of VolunteerMark, attended both iKC and the Closing Party – and he was not disappointed.

“The Closing Party was an awesome event,” Stanley said. “I had a really good time and met some really great people. I look forward to attending again next year.”

But the Closing Party wasn’t over yet! An unconference party isn’t made up of just delicious snacks, drinks and mingling. After party-goers had taken their fill, the Closing Party ended with a bang as we revealed the world premiere of the Tech Trek, a documentary made with and about Google Glass.

Thanks to support from Hallmark and Sprint, the Tech Trek took Closing Party attendees on a 30 minute journey from Kansas City to Silicon Valley and back to KC. The documentary took note of the good and bad of Google Glass, including commentary on the many reactions people had to the new technology. The Tech Trek made all of us think more about what the Glass technology means for not just the tech industry, but the implications for tech in Kansas City.

In a day filled with collisions and innovation on behalf of the great city we call home, we couldn’t think of a more perfect ending to the Closing Party for iKC2013: the Unconference.

iKC 2013: The Unconference Fosters Collisions

The decision to make iKC 2013 into an Unconference was done with one central goal in mind; to increase Kansas City's collision density. Over 250 attendees filed into H&R Block’s World Headquarters to tackle the issue head on by creating unlikely collisions in a conventional setting. 

What took place throughout the day can only be described as special & unique. After a brief welcome from Jason Houseworth, President of Global Digital and Product Management at H&R Block, the iKC 2013 Ambassadors, and Ed Wilson, Partner at Husch Blackwell, our own Herb Sih took to the stage along with event staff, Sarah Snyder and Christine Murray, to lead the live agenda creation. 

The Unconference format allowed attendees to put their day into their own hands simply by voicing their opinion on ideas for topic submissions. 

From there, attendees swarmed into the common area to vote on ideas and create the final agenda. 

The final product was an amalgamation of ideas and questions posed by iKC 2013 attendees. A conference agenda truly unlike anything else; created for the people, by the people. 

Attendees engaged in sessions that mattered most to them; resulting in mutually beneficial collisions and conversations for both individuals and the collective group. 

Thanks to #ikc2013 organizers, learned a ton and shared some knowledge too. Kudos! @iKC2013 @thinkbigKC @RyanWeberKC
— Corey Mohn (@coreymohn) October 3, 2013

The design of the Unconference format proved to be just as beneficial to fostering collisions as the sessions were. In fact, many conversations often extended past the end of a session and continued into the hallways. 

By the delayed end of session 4 it was clear that the goal of iKC 2013 was reached. Not only a high quantity of collisions took place, but collisions were extremely high quality as well. In proper Unconference fashion, the collisions continued on over to the closing party at the Alamo Drafthouse.

The Unconference was quite possibly the most valuable conference I've ever attended. Thanks @iKC2013! #ikc2013
— Mike Bosch (@mikesbosch) October 3, 2013

We are very proud of the success of iKC 2013 and want to thank our partners with The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce for the hard work and dedication they put into the unconference. We can't forget our gracious sponsors, and most importantly our team of volunteers, ambassadors, and UnMentors who made iKC 2013: The Unconference the valuable experience that it was.

Top 5 Reasons You Need to Be at iKC 2013

iKC: The Unconference is all about taking great ideas and turning them into action.  So why do you need to be at the unconference on October 3?  

1. You decide the topics you want to talk about At an "unconference," attendees submit and vote on ideas ahead of time to decide what the day's agenda will look like.Therefore, what the conference looks like is entirely up to you. Submit your ideas here.   2. Increase collision density in Kansas City Collision density is the level of collisions made between entrepreneurs, innovators, connectors, and investors in a single area. The higher an area's collision density, the more quickly and efficiently innovative development can occur. 3. This isn't a lecture hall. iKC incorporates the "Law of Two Feet." Unconference Rule #4 says, "if you're not learning or contributing, it is your responsibility to use your own two feet to find someplace where you are." If the session you're in is not a good fit, we encourage you to go find a conversation that makes more sense for you. 4. Get 1-on-1 mentorship from some of KC's most respected entrepreneurs and business leaders We're lining up some of the city's most successful entrepreneurs and business leaders for the UnMentor Program. Apply for the UnMentor program and you may have an opportunity for a 20-minute session with one of our UnMentors during the conference.   5. The After Party. No, really.  At 4:15, we'll head to the Alamo Drafthouse for the iKC Closing Session (sponsored by Google Fiber) where you can enjoy free drinks and appetizers. There will also be Open Mic awards where attendees can grab the mic and personally award prizes to a person they think had the most impact on their day. Plus! At 6:30 p.m., you'll be one of the first to see The Tech Trek, a Google Glass-enabled documentary, and learn all about the capabilities of Google Glass from the eyes of KC entrepreneurs.  **This screening is free for iKC attendees. General public tickets will become available if space permits. Claim your iKC ticket today! We will see you October 3!

Jefferson City Hosts 2nd Mid-Missouri Young Professional Summit

A few days ago, Entrepreneur.com listed Kansas City as one of the 9 Cities You Wouldn't Think Are Hubs for Tech Startups.

But we would like to add one more to that list.  And although it may not be considered a "hub", it is a Midwestern city that is making it a priority to grow it's entrepreneurial community.  Welcome to Jefferson City, MO.

Next week, the Mid-Missouri Young Professional Summit will be hosted for the second year in a row in Jefferson City.  The event will build upon the success of the Summit held in 2011, which brought more than 95 participants from the region to learn, share and speak their minds on a specific area of expertise.  In addition to networking, professional development and education, plenty of food, drink and fun will be shared by all!

But things are looking a bit different this year.  The Summit has moved to a larger facility, has expanded in length and is bringing an even bigger bang for an attendee's investment!

With speakers such as Chad Carden, Tyler Prochnow, Skinny Improv and other "peer presenters", the Mid-Missouri Young Professional Summit has been built for any entrepreneur interested in improving themselves, their work or their region.

Go check out the entrepreneurial vibes in Jefferson City at the Mid-MO Young Professional Summit on October 9, 2012 at the G2 Gallery.  Only 15 tickets are left and go for $35.00!  Register today!

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Kansas City Named Tech Startup Hub by Entrepreneur.com

Big things are happening in Kansas City.  So big, in fact, that they are being recognized by the one and only Entrepreneur Magazine.  The entrepreneurial publication is beginning to turn its focus away from Silicon Valley and Silicon Alley to one of the emerging hubs in the central portion of the region...and it has zeroed in on Kansas City, Missouri.

Entrepreneur.com recently featured Kansas City in its 9 Cities You Wouldn't Think Are Hubs for Tech Startups.  Other booming cities such as Hoboken, Las Vegas, Portland and Boulder made the list, too.  But why is Kansas City #2 on the list?

According to Entrepreneur.com writer John Patrick Pullen, our beloved KC made the list for three reasons:

1.  Google Fiber:  Kansas City is preparing for an influx of innovation when it gets an instant tech infusion from Google Fiber, which will provide free, gigabit internet to 180 neighborhoods starting in October.  This announcement has led to the creation of Kansas City Hacker Homes, where entrepreneurs and developers can "couch surf" to use KC's Google Fiber service.

2. Launch KC: Launch KC is a city-sponsored initiative headed by Mayor Sly James to attract more startups with cheap office space and equipment subsidies.

3. Think Big Partners: Early-stage business incubator and startup accelerator TBP has been helping entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses since 2008.  With investments in local startups such as EyeVerify and inCharge, Think Big Partners is growing the entrepreneurial community, creating jobs and fostering startup growth.

Let's face it--Entrepreneur.com has got it right.  We could not be more proud to be a part of this flourishing tech startup hub.  Thanks to all of you entrepreneurs who are has made this honor possible.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

023 Think Big Radio: Inside Kansas City's Google Fiber Experience

Google Fiber Space in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Click to listen: 

023 Think Big Radio: Inside Kansas City's Google Fiber Experience

Kansas City isn’t just experiencing big things this summer...it’s experiencing fast things, too.  This summer, Google opened its very own home in KC and the location quickly became known as Google Fiber Space.  Google Fiber Space is a modern, techy place full of Google Fiber demonstrations, interactive video, hands-on activities and even free food!  It all sounded too good to be true...so we decided to take a look at Google Fiber Space for ourselves. 

Google Fiber Space is decorated with modern pieces
(and perhaps a nod to the Nelson-Atkins Museum?)

And it was better than we imagined.  We even had the opportunity to sit down with Google Fiber Community Manager Rachel Hack and ask her a few questions about Google Fiber’s implementation in Kansas City...and what we can expect next.  We asked Rachel about Google Fiber for business, the ins-and-outs of Google TV, Kansas City as the home of Google Fiber and we even took questions from people on Facebook and Twitter who had interesting questions about the high-speed Internet.  Want to hear what Rachel had to say?  Give episode 23 of Think Big Radio a listen (above).

Let's do this for Think Big! 

To learn more about Google Fiber, visit https://fiber.google.com/about/.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

In-depth with the Think Big i-Team: Brennan Power

This summer, Think Big Partners proudly took on its biggest project of all—managing 9 rockstar interns!  We were so excited to bring on these 9 eager students that we felt like we had to come up with name for them—they are now known as the i-Team. We can’t wait to teach the i-Team all about the world of entrepreneurship, startups, marketing and all things in between.  Learn more about i-Team member Brennan Power, one of our four copywriter interns.

NAME: Brennan Power

FAVORITE COLOR: Blue

FAVORITE TV SHOW: True Blood

SECRET FUN FACT: Great artist, specifically drawing.

As the summer comes to a close for the i-Team, we at Think Big would like to showcase the final piece of the i-Team puzzle: our fourth copywriter, Brennan Power. Mr. Power is somewhat of an international man of mystery.  In fact, he was late to the party known as the i-Team this summer because he was studying abroad down under in Melbourne, Australia.

So what have we learned about Brennan in his short stint at TBP? For starters, Brennan is a lifelong citizen of Kansas City, Missouri. A graduate of Pembroke Hill, like fellow i-Team member Max Gall, Brennan was a phenomenal two-sport athlete in his high school days, wielding a mean stick in both hockey and lacrosse. In high school, Brennan was also the president of the Spanish club, which like any presidency, yielded the amazing perk of a free Chipotle burrito every month. Talk about power! But Brennan made sure he was not above the people.  In fact, whenever asked, he would willingly lend his skill as an artist to teachers and classmates by designing flyers for events and clubs around the school.

After graduating high school, Brennan embarked to the east coast to attend Boston College. Brennan will head back to school in a little less than a month to start his senior year and graduate with a degree in history and sociology.  As an avid volunteer, Brennan spends a lot of his time in the intercity school reading program Jumpstart. In this program, Brennan helps teach students reading and writing skills.

Brennan’s love for sports has also continued into his college years.  Brennan is a member of the Boston College intramural club hockey team.

During breaks from school, Brennan enjoys music blogging to stay current with the hottest hits. He also enjoys hiking and sees it as a great way to relax and take in fresh air.

Now time for the golden question: How does Brennan Think Big? Brennan likes to be original and sees it important for a person to stay true to themselves and their style. As he puts it, “It’s the best way to become successful.  People appreciate that and can see that it’s genuine.” 

We look forward to the exciting things Brennan has in store and are delighted to welcome him to the team!

Missouri: A Top Spot for Conferences

Recently, the Kauffman Foundation announced that Missouri is the number 6 state for entrepreneurs, but did you know it’s also a hot spot for meetings and conferences as well? According to the article “More Meetings in MO” by William Ng, Kansas City, St. Louis and Branson (yes, Branson!) are some of the top choices for business gatherings.

Conference in KC

From the large-scale Kansas City Convention Center to the more intimate, loft-style spaces of the Crossroads District at bizperc, Kansas City has a lot to offer when it comes to meeting spaces.  Downtown KC has been recently revamped and is ready for eager professionals!  Ng writes, “In the first two months of 2012, the city hosted more than a dozen conventions that contributed more than $20 million to the local economy…In 2011, it recorded its best year ever in terms of hotel demand, with 6.6 million room nights sold.”  Tourists and business people alike are discovering that Kansas City is the new hip destination.

Synergy in St. Louis

The Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress love St. Louis so much, they even had their annual meeting there in July.  St. Louis offers the 500,000 square foot America’s Center right in the center of the lively downtown with four convention centers in one—including Cervantes Convention Center, Edward Jones Dome (yep, the football stadium is inside this place!), St. Louis Executive Conference Center and the Ferrara Theatre.  Walk out the door, and you’re immediately surrounded by restaurants, hotels and other attractions.  With room to play and sites to see, St. Louis offers more than just great sports teams and Budwesier beer!

Book it in Branson

You may be surprised to find Branson on this list, but it’s been gaining convention popularity.  At this family reunion destination, you’ll find not only large groups of relatives strolling around in matching t-shirts, but also business professionals attending conferences.  The Branson Convention Center is just moments away from golf courses, a lake and the Landing (filled with shops and luxurious dining). Plus, if you’re really feeling adventurous, Silver Dollar City is just nine miles away.  You’ll also find the lowest hotel room tax out of the three cities here – 12.1 percent!  It’s not just for tourists anymore either.  Branson is getting a well-deserved rep for hosting some pretty important people.

As the Silicon Prairie gains more popularity, the Midwest earns more respect. Missouri has a lot to offer – and professionals everywhere are starting to see it. 

Oohly: Buy Products Straight from Your TV

Long gone are the days of waiting. It’s all about instant gratification. If we want an answer to a question, we just Google it. If we want to know what movies our favorite actors star in, we visit IMDB. Shouldn’t our purchasing process be just as fast?

Leawood, Kansas-based startup Oohly seems to think so.

The developers of Oohly have created an app that connects to your TV and streamlines the buying process. Read on to discover the closer-than-ever future of purchasing products from your TV...even those products you see in your favorite television shows. 

About Oohly

You’re watching your favorite TV show—let’s just say it’s Mad Men. You see Betty Draper wearing a stunning red dress and you think to yourself, I want that! Using the Oohly app—and without interrupting your show—you can see what Betty is wearing and where you can purchase it. The app provides links that connect you directly to the retailer so you may buy the dress if you choose.

To learn more about this process, watch this Oohly video:

Oohly Presents - EXTRA GONE WILD! from Oohly on Vimeo.

Why Oohly Reigns Supreme

Kansas-based startup Oohly, featured on Forbes.com and TCMnet.com, is truly the first of its kind. And with half of American viewers using the Internet while watching TV (perhaps they’re purchasing products!), it’s a wonder a startup like this hasn’t come out sooner. Oohly solves many prominent problems within the advertising and marketing world.

Solving the Problem of Product Placement

Commercials are falling by the wayside because viewers simply skip through them thanks to DVR and TiVo.  In order to solve for this, marketers have beefed up television product placement.  To fulfill product placement promises, brands are woven into a TV show’s storyline without the viewers even realizing it.  Other times, when done incorrectly, product placement can feel less organic.  Director David Lynch has nothing but negative things to say about the topic. Many criticize that product placement disrupts the story and is a feeble attempt for replacing commercials.

With Oohly, product placement may be a thing of the past. All product information is embedded in the TV show’s metadata. All you do is select a character and voila! You now have all the information that you’d get from a commercial (and more!). Except now, the viewers are in control!

Governance Issues

Right now it seems that product placement is the only way to get around the DVR issue. Marketers and advertisers are at a loss. Content developers don’t like having to create a storyline about a specific product and viewers don’t like commercials invading their TV shows. Policy makers want disclosure. The Federal Communication Commission thinks the public should know when it’s being influenced by advertisements. The rule states:

"When money or other consideration for the airing of program material has been received by or promised to a station, its employees or others, the station must broadcast full disclosure of that fact at the time of the airing of the material, and identify who provided or promised to provide the consideration."

Oohly bypasses this issue all together. Oohly users choose to seek further information about the product. They aren’t unwittingly sold a product because of sponsorship from a brand—they can choose to get more information (or not)! Wouldn’t it be nice to watch Mad Men without an ad for Gillette in the middle of it?

Oohly isn’t just convenient for consumers and TV viewers.  It’s a necessary step in the streamlined buying process. If this piques your interest, keep your fingers crossed because Oohly is still searching for partners!

And in the meantime, I’ll still be trying to figure out where Betty Draper got that dress...at least until Oohly comes around.  

In-depth with the i-Team: Mike Thompson

This summer, Think Big Partners proudly took on its biggest project of all—managing 9 rockstar interns!  We were so excited to bring on these 9 eager students that we felt like we had to come up with name for them—they are now known as the i-Team. We can’t wait to teach the i-Team all about the world of entrepreneurship, startups, marketing and all things in between.  Learn more about i-Team member Mike Thompson, our bizperc legal intern:

REAL NAME: Norris Michael Thompson

HOMETOWN: Columbus, OH

HIDDEN PASSION: The performing arts

FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Watching any and all sports

Mike Thompson joined Think Big Partners as a legal intern in the midst of one of the most critical summers of his life—while he was studying for the Missouri Bar exam.  It has taken Mike many years of preparation—from the hills of Lawrence, Kansas to Omaha’s growing downtown—to finally face the dreaded law school test.  Mike earned his undergrad at KU and then moved to Omaha to study business law at Creighton University.  It was at Creighton that he found his true legal passion, intellectual property. This soon-to-be-lawyer is now nervously awaiting those pesky bar exam results come the fall!  But now that the exam is finally over, Mike is ready to kick back and watch some sports (of course including the Olympics - USA! USA! USA!).

Mike’s favorite part about interning at Think Big Partners has been immersing himself in the coworking space, bizperc.  At first, Mike was a bit skeptical about the amount of work he could accomplish with soccer balls being thrown around and Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots at the conference table.  But he soon learned that these “productive distractions” can actually help increase productivity (as opposed to stuffy, boring offices that only make you more stressed out!).

If Mike could start his own business, he would open a nonprofit organization dedicated to Kansas City’s performing arts.  You guessed it—Mike was a theatre kid growing up!  He would love to give back to that community in the best way he knows how—after all, nonprofits need lawyers too!

Mike Thinks Big by daring to be adventurous.  Anytime he can put himself in a position where he’s uncomfortable or in an unfamiliar setting, he doesn’t back down.  Mike knows he’ll be able to pick up and run with whatever comes his way...in doing so, he also knows that he’ll grow as a person.  Now that’s a Think Big attitude! 

Networking, Cold Beverages and...Baseball? KCNext's IT Happy Hour

KC Next hosted the IT networking event of the summer was Thursday at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

Hundreds of IT and marketing professionals met over complimentary drinks and hummus (because what Kansas City networking event doesn’t have hummus?) and the atmosphere was ripe for making connections. The room was filled with lots of familiar faces.  After all, Kansas City has that great small town feel where you really can get to know just about everyone in the industry at these events.

Seriously, have you ever networked in a cooler place? 

In addition to getting their mingle on, attendees had the chance to win some awesome raffle prizes (including an iPod shuffle and an Apple TV, just to name a few).  These prizes were given out between 6:00 and 7:00PM. to the joy of the networkers - all while surrounded by baseball paraphernalia and facts about some of the sport’s greatest players in our history.

Raffling off the great tech prizes

A big thanks to KCNext, the organization who made this Happy Hour a homerun for Kansas City entrepreneurs and businesspeople!

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.

What Will Google Say on Thursday?

We are just as excited as the next person about Google Fiber's launch in Kansas City.  And we're even more excited that Google has announced that the launch will happen on Thursday. But is the launch really happening, or should we just expect another ambiguous announcement from the search engine giant?

According to The Kansas City Star, Google plans to fill in some blanks on July 26th.  The video (above), which was released last Wednesday, unveils what might be part of the marketing rhetoric for its coming service: 100 times faster Internet, 100 times the possibilities. 

The video also proclaims that the service "arrives on July 26th."  Will it really?  According to The Star and Google spokeswoman Jenna Wandres, "We haven't elaborated on what arriving means." 

So what can we expect on Thursday?  If Google has anything to do with it, we will have to simply wait to find out.  

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

In-depth with the Think Big i-Team: Nick Rossin

This summer, Think Big Partners proudly took on its biggest project of all—managing 9 rockstar interns!  We were so excited to bring on these 9 eager students that we felt like we had to come up with name for them—they are now known as the i-Team. We can’t wait to teach the i-Team all about the world of entrepreneurship, startups, marketing and all things in between.  Learn more about i-Team member Nick Rossin, our bizperc coworking space intern:

NAME: Nick Rossin

FAVORITE COLOR: Orange

3 BEST QUALITIES: Friendly, Easy-going and Hardworking

MISSION STATEMENT:  ”I am person with determination to get any task done through creativity to make it fun, effective and worthwhile.”

Meet Nick Rossin. Nick grew up in Overland Park, Kansas with a younger sister and older brother (Zach, who was a previous finance intern at Think Big Partners!). Nick attended Blue Valley Northwest High School where he was part of the student government, golf team and DECA. He is currently a sophomore accounting major at KU.  Nick is a part of many campus organizations—Sigma Phi Epsilon, National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Student Advocates for Financial Education. But when he’s not busy being a star student, Nick likes to play golf and hang out with his friends. He even enjoys the occasional KC Chiefs game (but then again, who doesn’t!?). 

Here at Think Big, Nick has helped with the planning and development of our entrepreneur-focused conference, iKC. Now, Nick has been put in charge of tasks concerning the coworking space, bizperc. So far, Nick’s favorite part of interning at Think Big Partners has been meeting all the new people. The hardest part this summer has been juggling two different jobs.  But this may be nothing compared to his previous experience as a soccer referee. He was yelled at by “over-enthusiastic parents” and he even had to make some parents leave the field!

Within the next 5 years, Nick plans to graduate from KU and then begin studying for his masters. He would love to have a job in sales so he can “constantly interact and meet new people”. His dream job would be “a real estate agent in a cool city or town,” (is KC cool enough? We think so!). 

How Does Nick Think Big? “I Think Big by making life decisions with proper consideration of all possible outcomes and consequences. Just like any entrepreneurial idea, I have learned to Think Big by keeping an open mind and sculpting decisions or ideas into something worthwhile that fits”.

The Innovation Process – This Month’s ICKC Panel

At this month’s meeting by The Inventors Club of KC (ICKC), an Innovation Panel was brought in to answer burning questions about new products and the innovation process.  The panel of eight represented the industry’s best in Kansas City—from patent lawyers to marketing whizzes.  Inventors from all stages of the innovation process came and asked burning questions. “Be very general about your product ideas if sharing among the group!” the lawyers naturally warned, because it was one of the rare opportunities when you can talk to so many professionals in a forum—free of charge!

Some of the most popular topics during the meeting included protecting ideas with non-disclosure agreements and provisional patent applications. Panelist Garrett Gardner discussed the importance of vocally being able to sell your idea in a concise manner to attract investors.  ICKC’s vice president, Bill Johnston, warned against creating an excellent product that solved a problem consumers wouldn’t pay for. If, as an entrepreneur, you’ve had any of these questions yourself, ICKC meetings would be an extremely beneficial resource.

If you’re an aspiring inventor in Kansas City, don’t miss out on these free meetings every month! ICKC’s next meeting, Pitch Your Product, will take place August 21 at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center. If you can’t go in person, ICKC always a live stream on their website.

Kansas City's All-Star Game Hits a Social Media Home Run

For hundreds of years, baseball has been all about tradition.  Ballpark hotdogs.  Take Me Out to the Ballgame. The 7th inning stretch.  Baseball is one of America's most beloved pastimes--and we don't see it transforming dramatically anytime soon.  But a popular technology was implemented in this year's All-Star game in Kansas City and it elevated the buzz of the entire week to a whole new level.  What was the technology, you ask? Social media, of course.

According to many, the All-Star game in Kansas City was the most social All-Star game ever.  But why wouldn't it be?  Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Blogger and even Instagram have grown exponentially since last year.  To learn that the 2012 All-Star game was an extremely social one should come to no surprise to fans and social media gurus alike.

The Social Media Command Center.

image via Kansas City Star

But it was surprising when Kansas City Mayor Sly James commented that his favorite part of the All-Star game was the social media center, which was made up of a small group of volunteers at the H&R Block World Headquarters, about 15 minutes away from Kauffman Stadium.  The center quickly became known as the Kansas City Social Media Command Center.  The Center was used to monitor content posted from social media users in Kansas City using specialized software.  Volunteers also responded to questions about tourism, travel, KC, and all activities circulating the All-Star game.

Hashtags including #ASG and #HRDerby decorated Kauffman Stadium throughout the week.  The hashtags were even printed on each and every ticket sold.  A Twitter feed was rolling near the outfield in which 290,000 comments were posted with #ASG in the first inning alone!  That number alone surpassed the total posts from the entire All-Star game in 2011.

Twitter may have hit its peak when Robinson Cano (New York Yankees) stepped up to the plate during the Home Run Derby.  As the player was surprisingly booed by a plethora of Kansas City fans (much to the disapproval of Cano himself), the Yankee responded immediately with none other than a 140-character tweet.  And it was a tweet heard 'round the world.  That tweet alone caused an onslaught of both positive and negative attention on KC fans.

Although we still love the classic bag of peanuts, a coordinated "wave" from the crowd and those once-in-a-lifetime home-run catches from the stands, we are ecstatic that Kansas City went above and beyond with its social media effort during the All-Star game.  Next up?  The Olympics.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Entrepreneurship Across the Midwest: Is Tulsa Next?

For over a year now, we've been hearing about how Kansas City is the next big hub for entrepreneurship.  But other Midwest states aren't far behind (just take a look at the big entrepreneurial movements going on in Omaha and Chicago, for instance).  But you won't believe what city may be next in line--Tulsa, Oklahoma.

In a recent article posted on TulsaPeople.com, reporter Tara Lynn Thompson covers the growing startup scene in the Tulsa area and highlights important new companies emerging from our southern neighbor.

One of those individuals making a statement in Tulsa is Brian Paschal, executive director of The Forge, Tulsa's Young Professionals' (TYPros) business development center.  According to Paschal, Tulsa was founded on entrepreneurial risk-takers.  And these risk-takers have helped Tulsa become one of the Top 10 states for job growth and business creation, according to the 2011 US Bureau of Labor statistics.

So what's going on in the startup scene in Tulsa?  Take a look:

• i2e (Innovation to Enterprise): a private, nonprofit corporation that focuses solely on high-growth companies in Oklahoma
• Launch: a new 16-week entrepreneurial program at Tulsa Community College 
• TCC Startup Cup: a business idea competition that helps to get more ideas to market in the area
• The Tulsey Awards: recognizes the importance of entrepreneurs on Tulsa's economy and quality of life
• Hardesty Center for Fab Lab Tulsa: a nonprofit entity that supplies entrepreneurs with equipment and computers for innovation and STEM education 
• Tulsa Web Devs: a tight-knit group of Tulsa web developers and designers that build with open-source technology 
• Sway Balance: a new app that tests balance for a variety of patients like athletes and those with chronic diseases
• Collaboratorium: a private, nonprofit corporation that operates as a resource center to provide coaching, education, discounted office space and networking for startups

That's right, Kansas City!  Our friendly neighbor to the south is doing its part in building the entrepreneurial scene in the Midwest.  We're excited to see what others cities jump on board in 2012 and beyond.

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