Top 11 Kansas City Startup Resources In 2013

A long time ago (and we mean a long time ago) we developed a top 10 list of some of the best online and offline resources for entrepreneurs and startups in Kansas City.  Now that almost three years have passed, it’s about time we update this list with some of the newest and best entrepreneur and startup resources in the Kansas City area.  You may notice three years ago, we had a list of just 10 resources.  This year, we are publishing 11—and you’ll also notice how different these lists are from one another.  A lot of things have changed in the past three years—especially when it comes to the progression and creation of new startup resources in the Kansas City area.

All of the following resources have been created to help entrepreneurs launch successful startups and businesses.  So if you’re a serious KC entrepreneur looking for some small business help, check out one (or all) of these resources to determine which one is right for you (don’t feel like reading? Listen to our podcast episode instead!): 

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042 Think Big Radio: Top 11 Startup Resources in Kansas City (2013)

1. The Kauffman Foundation

www.kauffman.org

Back in 2010, The Kauffman Foundation was one of our top picks as a KC startup resource—and the organization has remained on top to this day.  The well-known and successful track record of the Kauffman Foundation is famous throughout the world.  The organization provides education and training (i.e. the FastTrac program) for entrepreneurs.  In addition, Kauffman promotes entrepreneurship-friendly policies to better facilitate the commercialization of new technologies.  In recent years, the Kauffman Foundation has boosted its involvement in startups even further by sponsoring Startup Weekend as well as 1 Million Cups.

2. Kansas and Missouri Universities and Colleges

Three years ago, we also made sure to add various Kansas and Missouri universities and colleges into our list of KC startup resources.  Today, we continue to add them to the top of our list because of their growing number of diverse programs for entrepreneurs and startups.  Below are just a few of the schools that provide strong entrepreneurship programs:

• Kansas City Kansas Community College, Entrepreneurship Program 
• Johnson County Community College, Entrepreneurship Program 
• University of Missouri Entrepreneurship Alliance  
• KU Entrepreneurship Program  
• UMKC Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation  
• William Jewell Entrepreneurship Program (recently received $500K from Kauffman to support the program) 

3. Think Big Partners

www.thinkbigpartners.com

We don’t mean to toot our own horns (or do we?) but Think Big Partners has seen exponential growth throughout the past 3 years not just in Kansas City, but across the nation.  Think Big Partners has gone from being known as a “business incubator/startup accelerator” to more of an “idea factory”—providing essential tools for local and nationwide startups.  With services and resources such as the Think Big Coworking (the company’s coworking space), entrepreneur-focused events (i.e. Hackovate Health, The Gigabit Challenge and iKC 2012 and 2013—coming soon), the Think Big Accelerator program, Think Big Ventures and many other initiatives, Think Big is continuing to build Kansas City into a hub for startups, tech and innovation.

4. Kansas City Coworking Spaces

Entrepreneurs can collaborate, mentor one another and meet other area-entrepreneurs at any of Kansas City’s many coworking spaces.  It seems as if coworking spaces are popping up all over town—and for good reason.  Kansas City needs a place for the growing number of entrepreneurs to go.  Some of these Kansas City coworking spaces include:

• Think Big Coworking
• OfficePort
• Innovation Café 
• Cowork Waldo

5. Startup Village

www.kcstartupvillage.org

Perhaps Kansas City’s newest “startup resource” is Startup Village, an entrepreneur-led, organic, grassroots initiative helping to bolster the Kansas City entrepreneur and startup community.  The mission of Startup Village is to create a concentrated and collaborative area of startup centered around the Google Fiber “fiberhoods”.   Currently, KC startups such as Leap2, FormZapper, Pipeline, CaddyX, EyeVerify, Handprint, SquareOffs and many others office in Startup Village.

Homes For Hackers is another startup that currently “offices” in Startup Village (and could be considered an entrepreneur resource in itself!).  Homes for Hackers provides 3 months of rent-free, Google Fiber-connected startup space to area entrepreneurs. 

6. Civic Leadership

There are many civic organizations and non-profits supported by the City of KCMO to help entrepreneurs.  Some of these organizations include:

• The Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City (EDC): Collaborates with the City of KCMO and other organizations to project a local identity and ensure a competitive, vibrant and self-sustaining economy. 
• The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce: The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce gives entrepreneurs the voice and resources they need to operate successful businesses within the region.  For small business owners in particular, the Chamber provides research and forecasts, networking events, global trade resources and leadership opportunities.
• Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC): A private, non-profit organization that represents the economic interests in the 18-county region of Kansas City.  Under the KCADC umbrella is KCNext, the Technology Council of Greater Kansas City, which focuses on growing the existing base of technology firms, recruiting and attracting technology companies and aggregating and promoting regional IT assets. 
• KCBizCare: KCBizCare is the City of Kansas City’s business customer service center.  KCBizCare provides entrepreneurs with information and assistance in understanding and complying with city, state and federal requirements of operating a business.  The entrepreneur-focused part of KCBizCare is LaunchKC, a strategic initiative designed to attract and develop IT entrepreneurs and professionals to the thriving information technology community throughout Kansas City. 

7. Ennovation Center

www.ennovationcenter.com

In our previous list, the Ennovation Center rounded out at #10.  But we hear more and more about the Ennovation Center every single day.  Located in Independence, Missouri, Ennovation Center focuses on three core areas for the development of new business: bio-tech, kitchen and business & technology.  Ennovation Center provides professional facilities, administrative services, business & financing assistance as well as a vast list of resources.  We recommend the Ennovation Center for any food entrepreneurs out there!

8. KCSourceLink

www.kcsourcelink.com

If you’re a budding entrepreneur, be sure to visit KCSourceLink before you get started.  This online (and offline) resource’s mission is to help small businesses in the 18-county Kansas City region grow and succeed.  With 170+ nonprofit resource organizations that provide business-building services, KCSourceLink truly facilitates the linking of resource organizations to one another and to established, emerging and startup small businesses throughout the region.

9. The Enterprise Center of Johnson County

www.ecjc.com

The Enterprise Center of Johnson County (also known as ECJC) has the goal of stimulating business creation and employment in the region by providing resources and services to early-stage, high-return, high-growth companies.  Currently, ECJC boasts 31 current client and affiliate companies and has helped to create 904 new jobs in the KC metro area.

10. OneKC for Women

www.onekcforwomen.com

Kansas City boasts some very powerful women-focused entrepreneurial resources such as OneKC for Women (made up of the Women’s Business Center, the Women’s Employment Network and Women’s Capital Connection).  OneKC is made up of powerful advocates for women and are committed to assisting women on their quest for personal, professional and financial self-sufficiency.

11. Silicon Prairie News

www.siliconprairienews.com

Perhaps you’re not ready to make the entrepreneurial dive—but you do want to read up on area startup news and attend entrepreneurial events to dip your toe in.  That’s exactly where Silicon Prairie News comes into play.  This online resource provides the top news stories for what’s going on in entrepreneurship in the “Silicon Prairie” region (primarily Kansas City, Omaha and Des Moines).  Read up on startup news and attend any Silicon Prairie event to learn more about what KC-area entrepreneurs are up to. 

We would like to thank all of the above Kansas City resources for Thinking Big and providing help for all of our entrepreneurs.  Here’s to three more years of success in Kansas City! 

* Think Big Partners created this list to the best of our knowledge.  If you think a Kansas City startup resource is missing on this list, please add your thoughts to the comments section below. 

037 Think Big Radio: Jason Grill of Kansas City Startup Sock 101

If you’re a fan of the Kansas City entrepreneurship scene there is a very good chance you know who Jason Grill is.  But even if you don’t know the KC entrepreneur himself, you’ve probably come across many organizations, startups or articles that he’s touched. In addition to being a host of Entrepreneur KC Radio as well as the owner of JGrill Media, Jason is also one of the cofounders, along with Lea Bailes and Dave Feyerabend, of Kansas City’s newest fashion brand, Sock 101.

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037 Think Big Radio: Jason Grill of Kansas City Startup Sock 101

I was fortunate enough to sit down with Jason this past week at Think Big Partners to put him on the other side of the microphone.  We chatted about his startup endeavors as well as the ins-and-outs of up-and-coming startup, Sock 101.

For those of you not familiar with Sock 101, it is a new Kansas City startup that breaks away from the current model of most of those found in KC. While many startups in the area deal with either tech or mobile, Sock 101 is simply selling (what else?) socks.

Founded in June and pitched back in November 2012 at The Kauffman Foundation’s Startup Showcase 1 Million Cups, Sock 101 is focused on allowing people to step up their sock game with self-expressive high quality socks for $7 each.  Men’s fashion has been evolving in recent years, breaking away from the business standard of navy blue, black and grey. Nowadays, there is an increasing demand to add one’s own personal flair to their attire. The idea that your socks should match the color of your pants has been thrown out the window.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what triggered this revolution in men’s fashion.  Brightly patterned shirts and ties, pocket squares and cufflinks opened the floodgates allowing men of any age to add their own personal style to “traditional” men’s attire. In recent years, with all other articles of clothing well covered, it was finally turn for socks to get their day in the sun.

While other companies are focused on producing stylish “high quality” colorful socks at a price point between $12 and $24 per pair, Sock 101 looks accomplish the same thing, only at a more affordable price.

Though it is a young Kansas City startup, Sock 101 is poised to make big waves not only in the Kansas City entrepreneurship scene, but in the fashion industry as a whole.   

Speaking from my own experience, the socks from Sock 101 are great. They provide enough panache without being gaudy and overbearing.  It should also be noted these socks are super comfortable. The socks can be purchased at local men’s boutiques like Method in the Crossroads as well as online at their website, Sock101.com, with flat rate shipping. For those who want to step up their sock game but don’t want to do a lot of work, Sock 101 also offers a “sock of the month club” that delivers a fresh pair of stylish socks to your door every month.

So what’s next for Jason and his fellow “Sockpreneurs”? Only time will tell, but you can be sure that this KC company will continue its mission of providing stylish professional socks at an affordable price.

When asked how Jason Thinks Big, here’s how he answered: “Anything is possible, the Kansas City community as a whole is super supportive and everyone is doing great things. With something like socks people think you can just grab a pair of the rack and go to someone and say make this. It’s not that easy. It takes a lot of hard work and you have to be thinking big.”

Luckily for the Sockpreneurs, Kansas City has the tools to accomplish something like that.

More Than 400 Participants Crawl Kansas City's Startup Scene

Friday, February 8^th marked the date of Kansas City's first ever Startup Crawl—a collaboration between Red Nova Labs's Venture Friday meetup group and five additional startup-support organizations around Crossroads, Plaza and Westwood.

About 50 startups showcased their work and more than 400 participants “crawled”.

Locations included Red Nova Labs, KC Startup Village, Kauffman Foundation, Think Big Partners, Office Port and BetaBlox. Five Overland Park Limo coaches looped the route, picking up from each spot on the half-hour mark from 4:30 p.m. until 10 p.m.

“Venture Fridays is a Kansas City-based networking group that encourages locals with entrepreneurial bent to come out of the woodwork, meet and learn from one another,” said Carrie Royce, chief planner of the Startup Crawl and Red Nova Labs CMO. “The goal of the city’s first Startup Crawl was to unite many more groups and locals toward that objective. It was a bit of an experiment, so I was elated that it ran so smoothly. It encouraged wider-spread interest in upstarts, and based on conversations in the social ether, it looks like people had a great time all around.”

A handful of the Red Nova Labs employees left their usual Venture Friday hub to join the revels. Matt Friederich of the company's business development team hopped on a shuttle to explore the other stops. "I can't count the number of new faces I met, the interesting ideas and experiences many of them shared with me, and the amount of times I heard them describe how awesome the Startup Crawl was."

Robert Zhou, Red Nova Labs' CTO, shared his belief that "the Startup Crawl was the best way to get a complete sample of the entire startup ecosystem that is quickly developing in the Silicon Prairie." The crawl presented a fun-filled atmosphere where Viking and LED cowboy hats were the norm. It was a casual way to network with a diverse mix of the industry's most successful entrepreneurs. With the popularity of this month's event, another crawl is in the works for the future; however, the date is still undetermined.

The entrepreneurial good times weren't limited to Red Nova Labs' building either. “We were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people and more importantly by the enthusiasm they showed for the startup community in Kansas City.  All night long there were conversations that started out as introductions and ended up with opportunities for collaboration," said Tyler Prochnow, Co-Founder of Think Big Partners, a stop on the Crawl located in the Crossroads district. "Perhaps more than any event in awhile, the Startup Crawl provided concrete evidence that the entrepreneurial spirit in Kansas City is at an all time high.”

"Kansas City is a great place for upstarts,” said Royce. “We’re no Silicon Valley, and in many ways that’s a good thing. There’s as much ‘do’ as ‘say’ here in the Midwest.”

For the complete story in photo form, check out the Red Nova Labs Facebook page.

Read original press release from Red Nova Labs: http://www.rednovalabs.com/more-than-400-participants-crawl-kansas-citys-startup-scene/ 

KC’s New Startup Crawl Unites Entrepreneurs, Innovators and Small Business Owners

On February 8, 2013, Startup Crawl will hit the streets of Kansas City for the first time ever and Think Big Partners is honored to be featured along the way!

First things first: What exactly is Startup Crawl?

Startup Crawl is an opportunity for entrepreneurs and organizations within Kansas City’s ever-growing startup-sphere to showcase what they are building via interactive demos and networking. Shuttles will be transporting crawl participants to locations in the Crossroads, Plaza and Westwood areas of Kansas City. 

The idea of Startup Crawl began as a joint venture between Venture Fridays, a product of Red Nova Labs, and the Kansas City Startup Village. The goal of the event is to increase the visibility of the Kansas City startup scene and show how accessible it is to locals who have hopes of breaking in as well as to those looking to benefit from the resources Kansas City has to offer.

In addition to Red Nova Labs and Kansas City Startup Village, more stops along the way include The Kauffman Foundation, OfficePort, BetaBlox and Think Big Partners. Shuttles will be running on a loop from these locations picking up and dropping off participants. The four shuttles will run from 4:30pm to 10:00pm on February 8, 2013. 

Highlights include a live prairie bluegrass jam provided by Leap2 at the Startup Village.  In addition, OfficePort will be hosting a reduced version of their Whiskey Friday Tradition, an event in its 3^rd year. A full list of over 30 participating startups is available here (located at the bottom of the page).

Startup Crawl is designed as pub crawl, but instead of hopping from bar to bar, attendees will hop from startup to startup. Startup Crawl is a platform for entrepreneurs to tell their stories and extend a branch of hospitality to the Kansas City community as a whole.

The event is free but participants have the option to donate to the event to cover transportation and beverage costs if they would like.  Register here: http://kcstartupcrawl.eventbrite.com/.  

We can’t wait to showcase what our hard working entrepreneurs have built so far and what the future holds for the Kansas City startup scene as a whole at Startup Crawl!  

Build Better Apps with Kauffman App Training Lab

Do you have an idea for a killer app? If the only thing that stands in your way is not knowing how to build a mobile app, get ready to break that wall down. The Kauffman Foundation is hosting an App Training Lab that will give you all the tools you need to be an app building rockstar! 

This six week event will start on Thursday, October 4^th at 5:30pm. It is open to anyone who wants to learn how to build an app. If you’re not a programmer, don’t worry! All you need to bring to the class is and iOS device and a laptop.

If you have some knowledge about programming and can’t commit to a six week course, there will also be a four week course for the more advanced students. Since each week will build off of the previous week, Kauffman asks that you are able to commit to each class. Agenda info is available here.

The best part about this whole educational series? It’s free! All you have to do is register. So don’t wait any longer.  Sign up today and learn how to build apps!  

It's BAAACK! Startup Weekend Kansas City 2012 at Kauffman Foundation

For a few years now we've been promoting, attending, hosting and even sponsoring Startup Weekend Kansas City.  It's a 54-hour frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing and market validation followed by a finale of presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders.  And we could not be more excited that it's back in Kansas City November 16-18, 2012 at the Kauffman Foundation.

Entrepreneurs, hackers, coders, designers, marketers and creatives are invited to participate in Startup Weekend Kansas City.  But when it comes down to it, you're probably wondering...what's in it for YOU?

1.  New partners and connections

Entrepreneurs.  Developers.  Designers.  Marketers.  Product managers.  Startup enthusiasts.  Tech guys.  They’re all at Startup Weekend and they’re all anxious to meet you!  Startup Weekend not only provides you with the opportunity to make your startup dream come true, but it also gives you the networking opportunity that you need in order to grow your rolodex of experts and learn what others have to offer. 

2.  New ideas

You may be a hard worker, but you don't have quite the right ideas to launch a business of your own.  That's what Startup Weekend is for!  Startup Weekend will open your mind to new ideas out in the world and put you on the cutting-edge of entrepreneurship in Kansas City 

3.  New strategies

Startup Weekend is more than just a chance to launch a business—it’s a chance to expand your mind!  Startup Weekends are all about learning through the act of creating.  This event allows you to step outside of your comfort zone and work on a new platform, learn a new program, or just try something different.

4.  New perspectives

Local tech and startup leaders participate in Startup Weekends as mentors and judges. Get some one-on-one time and gain new, high-level perspectives with the movers and shakers in Kansas City at this event!

5.  A new startup! 

After just 54 hours, you will have built and launched a new startup in Kansas City. How cool is that?

Early bird tickets are available now for just $60.00 a pop.  Register today and see what all of the madness is about!  

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

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. 

Missouri Ranked 6th Most Entrepreneurial State!

Studies from 2012 Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, published by the Kauffman Foundation, show Missouri is the 6^th most entrepreneurial state in the nation! 

What draws entrepreneurs here? Could it be our Midwestern friendliness, Kansas City barbecue or our multiple professional sports teams? Maybe…but the data shows that low taxes, low utility bills and an appreciation for small business may be the real reason behind KC’s entrepreneurial boom.  Kansas City in particular has a lot of resources for budding entrepreneurs, including the Inventors Club of Kansas City, KC/IABC and of course, Think Big Partners.

In 2011, Missouri saw the most growth in the manufacturing industry, particularly in automobile, science and agriculture businesses.  Four hundred of every 100,000 Missourians decided to think big and startup as entrepreneurs.  We like those odds. 

So who’s our competition? Arizona is number one by quite a bit, with 520 out of every 100,000 people who caught the entrepreneurial bug this year.   The other top entrepreneurial states include Texas, California, Colorado and Alaska (that’s right—Alaska!). 

Keep on welcoming entrepreneurs to the Show-Me State and encouraging talent to stay local, and we’ll be number one in no time! What do you think draws entrepreneurs to Missouri and the Midwest? Let us know in the comments section!

The Opportunity to Build America's Most Entrepreneurial City

Kansas City is on its way to becoming America’s most entrepreneurial city—and the iKC conference is just one of the stepping stones to get us there.  We’ve seen initiatives from a handful of other organizations such as the Kauffman Foundation, the Social Media Club of Kansas City, Brainzooming and many others. 

And now, it’s your chance to become a part of the entrepreneurial movement.

With an iKC sponsorship, you have the opportunity to not only become a supporter of the KC entrepreneurial movement, but also to positively expose your organization and receive beneficial perks along the way.  An iKC sponsorship can intrinsically link you with an inspirational group of people and give you the opportunity to spend the day interacting with successful innovators, entrepreneurs, creative minds, local businesses and large corporations. 

There are two different types of sponsorships available:

1.  General iKC Sponsorship: The customizable sponsorship packet allows you to pick the level at which you wish to sponsor.  With a wide range of levels to choose from, organizations of any size can become a part of iKC.  iKC sponsorships also allow for interested startups and media organizations to get involved.  To learn more about these opportunities, contact iKC.

2.  Fire Up Sponsorship: The Fire Up sponsorship opportunity is completely unique to iKC.  Fire Up (short for Fearless Innovators’ and Ruthless Entrepreneurs’ Unconventional Pitch) is a lightning-fast pitch presentation from a number of local innovative entrepreneurs.  When sponsoring a Fire Up, iKC will pair you with an entrepreneur that will innovate on your company’s platform and then present it to a live audience.  That means that your company will walk away from iKC with a brand new, realistic innovation.  To learn more about sponsoring Fire Up, contact iKC. 

Get involved with iKC today and join Kansas City’s innovative and entrepreneurial efforts.  To learn more, visit iKC's Sponsorship page or call 816-842-5244.  

Follow iKC! @iKC_2012

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Kauffman Encourages Entrepreneurs to Take the Leap

In its most recent Sketchbook, the Kauffman Foundation encourages entrepreneurs to take the leap (but not too early!) by featuring a step-by-step process from Noam Wasserman, Harvard Business School Professor and author of The Founder's Dilemma.  Watch the video below for tips about when, how and why to take the entrepreneurial leap:

Follow Kauffman! @KauffmanFDN

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Ewing Marion Kauffman: From Entrepreneurship to All-Star Baseball

When many of us think of Kauffman, we imagine the Ewing M. Kauffman Foundation, a center for entrepreneurship, innovation, education and research.

Others think of the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, an architectural gem that has forever changed the Kansas City skyline.

But sports fans out there may not think of the Kauffman Foundation nor the Performing Arts Center. Instead, they think of the iconic Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals.

But this summer, Kauffman Stadium is more than just Kansas City's beloved baseball diamond.  It's also the home of the 2012 All-Star Game.  The stadium has not hosted an All-Star Game since January 24, 1973, the first year the stadium was opened.  So how did Kauffman Stadium come so far?

First and foremost, it was the work of Ewing Marion Kauffman himself.

Kauffman was first, a pharmaceutical entrepreneur; second, a philanthropist; and third, a Major League Baseball owner.  As an entrepreneur, Kauffman was able to establish the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in the mid-1960s, where he wanted to implement innovative, life-changing educational opportunities for young people.  Today, the Kauffman Foundation excels in advancing entrepreneurship and improving the education of children and youth.

But with his innovative mind, Kauffman also had the desire to see Kansas City, as a whole, succeed.  With this idea, Kauffman established the Kansas City Royals and brought major league baseball back to Kansas City.  The most innovative contribution that Kauffman may have provided for the Royals, however, was the initiative to build a unique stadium.  In 1973, Kauffman helped to open the Royals Stadium as a part of the Harry Truman Sports Complex in Kansas City.  The stadium was aesthetically pleasing with water fountains beyond the outfield fence and a 10-story high scoreboard shaped like the Royals crest.  After Kauffman's passing in 1993, the facility was officially renamed Kauffman Stadium and is the only stadium in the American League named in honor of a person.

Entrepreneurship, philanthropy and baseball: three movements that Ewing Marion Kauffman represented each and every day.  If Kauffman were to look down on Kansas City today, what would he see?  We think he would see a city aiming to become America's Most Entrepreneurial City.  We think he would see a city representing American baseball by hosting the All-Star Game.  And we think he would see dedicated, passionate and collaborative community members who have made it all possible.


Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

GoogleConnectsKC.com...Did You Have Some Work Done?

If you've recently visited GoogleConnectsKC.com, you may have noticed that the site has undergone a bit of a...facelift.  That's because the new site has taken some of the best bits of different Google Fiber sites and has consolidated it all into one.  A huge thanks to the Social Media Club of Kansas City, the Mayor's Bi-State Innovation Team, MARC and the Kauffman Foundation for putting together this one-stop-shop for all things Google Fiber.

With contributors from organizations like the Social Media Club, Think Big Partners, KU Medical Center, MARC, Kauffman, KCSourceLink and KCPT, GoogleConnectsKC.com will strive to provide information about Kansas City's Google Fiber implementation, allow site visitors to contribute ideas and display a detailed Google Fiber calendar of events.

A huge thanks to everybody who has collaborated to bring Kansas City a new, informative Google Fiber website.  When we all work together, great things happen.

Follow GoogleConnectsKC! @GoogleinKC
Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Help Kansas City Become America's Most Entrepreneurial City at Big 5 Meetings

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR
For a few months, we've been hearing about the Big 5; an entrepreneurial initiative set forth by the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Kauffman Foundation to make KC America's Most Entrepreneurial City.  But as exciting and intriguing it is to strive for this title, ideas on how Kansas City can actually become the most entrepreneurial region in the nation have been quite vague.

But they won't be vague for much longer.  This week, and continuing on throughout next week, The Chamber and Kauffman are hosting Big 5 events for a Greater Kansas City.

The Big 5 meetings have been built for everyone; entrepreneurs who want to grow a business, business owners who want to start buying from entrepreneurs, bankers and investors who want to start funding, Kansas City citizens interested in helping with job growth, public sector employees, parents, philanthropists, former entrepreneurs, teachers, students.   Like I said, everyone.


The community meetings will foster Kansas City communication and will focus on how to make KC America's Most Entrepreneurial City.

Register today for one of the Big 5 meetings and get ready to start something...well BIG.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

LiveOn Joins Eye-Fi, IBM, Google & Tourism New Zealand in Competition for SXSW Technical Achievement Award

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR
LiveOn, a site that enables users to capture memories and share with future generations, has joined Eye-Fi, IBM, Google and Tourism New Zealand as a finalist for technical achievement at the South by Southwest Interactive Awards on March 13, 2012, in Austin, Texas.

South by Southwest (also coined as SXSW) Interactive is an event that features five days of presentations from entrepreneurs in emerging technology and spotlights the best new websites, video games and startup ideas. South by Southwest chose LiveOn among four other Finalists to win the Technical Achievement Award, which recognizes projects that are "re-inventing and re-defining the technical parameters of our online experience". This recognition has arrived three months after LiveOn launched its public beta site and four months after LiveOn was named a Global Entrepreneurship Week 50 company of 2011.

"We are honored to be recognized with these other cool technologies," said Ben Kittrell, LiveOn's Director of Development. "But we are the only ones that really change the way people use the Internet and perceive the Internet as a tool. We are trying to personalize the Internet."

LiveOn launched out of Kansas City, Missouri with the help of KC-based startup accelerator and mentorship-based collaborative workspace, Think Big Partners. According to LiveOn staff, the startup had an advantage going into the running for the South by Southwest awards because it has launched and grown out of Kansas City. Kansas City has become a breeding ground for entrepreneurs, startups and investors due to recent announcements such as Google Fiber, Think Big Partners' Gigabit Challenge, and new developments from The Kauffman Foundation. All initiatives are helping to launch and grow startups like LiveOn in and around Silicon Prairie. LiveOn believes that SXSW wanted more Kansas City-based startups in attendance due to the city's growing impact on the entrepreneurial community.

"We are looking forward to exploring more investment opportunities at South by Southwest," said Kittrell. "We want to get the site out there and make meaningful connections."

Linsey Grams, LiveOn's Director of Media and Communications, added, "It will be a good chance to see first-hand where the competition is heading. Staying abreast is half the battle."

The awards event will take place on March 13, 2012 in Austin, Texas and will coincide with the annual South by Southwest Interactive festival. For more information on South by Southwest, visit http://sxsw.com/.

Follow LiveOn! @LiveOnNow & @LiveOnRewind

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Kauffman Super Bowl Commercial Asks Entrepreneurs, "Will It Be You?"

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

In 1967, a 30-second commercial spot cost approximately $42,000 during the Super Bowl.  In 2012, it costs about $3.5 million.

And although the costs seem outrageous, large companies still fork over millions and millions of dollars on Super Bowl advertisements.  But who can blame them?  Half of the country tunes into the Super Bowl just for the commercials alone.  They're attention-grabbers.  They're entertaining.  They're memorable.  Who could ever forget the Bud-Wei-Ser frog commercial?  Or the young Darth Vader commercial for Volkswagon?

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is hoping to make the same memorable impression on viewers on this year's Super Bowl Sunday by launching its first-ever public service announcement aimed at sparking the interest of potential entrepreneurs.

The Kauffman PSA boldly asks the question that many entrepreneurs face every day: Will it be you?

The Kauffman Super Bowl ad, which was leaked online yesterday, guides interested entrepreneurs to Kauffman's newest site, willitbeyou.com, where it displays information for startups about inspiration, networking, creation, mentoring and capital raising.  The website features popular resources provided by Kauffman including iStart (utilized in Kansas City's Gigabit Challenge business plan competition), Startup Weekend, Global Entrepreneurship Week, Startup America, UEP, Maker Faire, PIPELINE and many others.

"As jobs and the economy take center stage this election year, the Kauffman Foundation wants both policymakers and the public to be aware of the importance of entrepreneurs to solving our economic crisis," said Wendy Guillies, Kauffman's vice president of communications, in a recent press release.  "The most-watched television event of the year is the ideal opportunity for Kauffman to inspire entrepreneurs and, in the spirit of Super Bowl advertising, to do so in a fun and accessible manner."

The Kauffman PSA validates the growing movement of entrepreneurship not only in Kansas City, but in hundreds of cities across the nation.  Entrepreneurship is growing to a level that is so big that it needs to market in tandem with the most-watched event on television, the Super Bowl.  This notion reinforces the fact that entrepreneurship is not just important, it's essential; essential for job creation, essential for a recovering economy, essential for overall growth.

The willitbeyou.com commercial from Kauffman will air on Super Bowl Sunday (January 5, 2012) in some of the nation's largest television markets including New York City, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and of course, in Kauffman's own home of Kansas City.

The Kauffman Super Bowl commercial, which takes the form of Kauffman's popular "Sketchbook" theme, proudly states that the next great entrepreneur is out there...and it could be anybody.  Will it be you?

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Building the Silicon Prairie: Startup Kansas and Startup Missouri Launch Jan. 31

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

A little less than a year ago, the Startup America Partnership was formed.  The nationwide initiative strives to grow entrepreneurship and startup companies in every state.  The partnership was founded with three main goals:  1) to provide valuable resources and connections to help young companies grow, 2) to support regional startup ecosystems throughout the country, and 3) to recognize startups as the drivers of our economy and their founders as American heroes.

This is all good and well, but what actions are participants making to actually make the Startup America goals a reality?  We can talk the talk all we want...but will this organization walk the walk?

Kansas and Missouri have both taken the first step to make Startup America a reality.  Both states have organized their own partnership networks known as Startup Kansas and Startup Missouri.  Both networks hope to create hubs that combine existing entrepreneurs, investors, officials and coalitions into a central space to help boost entrepreneurship as a whole.

So we know what these two organizations are doing...but how are they going to do it?

It all starts on January 31, 2012, when Startup Kansas and Startup Missouri launch.

Startup Kansas
Winston/Meriwether of Topeka is launching Startup Kansas at the Topeka and Shawnee Country Public Library from 1:00 to 2:00pm.  With a welcome from Matthew Gassen, President of Winston/Meriwether, a video from Magic Johnson, and speeches from Cameron Cushman and Riley Scott, Startup Kansas hopes to bring in some of Kansas' most passionate entrepreneurs, investors and startups.

Startup Missouri
Missouri is hoping to transform from the "Show Me State" into the "Grow Me State" during its Startup Missouri launch on January 31.  The event will go from 11:00am-4:00pm at the Railway Exchange Building in St. Louis.

Will Startup Kansas and Startup Missouri help grow Kansas City into the most entrepreneurial city on earth?

Hey! That's cool! Startup Weekend and Tech Cocktail are going head-to-head to see who can recruit the most startups and become a member of Startup America.  Learn more here.  

Follow Startup Kansas! @StartupKS
Follow Startup Missouri! @StartupMO
Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Why Did Google Choose Kansas City for Fiber Project?

WRITTEN BY CLAYTON P. BURNETT, GUEST BLOGGER & LIVE BLOGGER FOR THE GIGABIT CHALLENGE FINALE

The wait is nearly over….

Web pages loading, videos downloading, music buffering—it’s all coming to end. 

All coming to an end, thanks to the Google Fiber project implementation in Kansas City.  “Layman’s terms” here, what is the Google Fiber Project and what does it mean for me? Simply put, Google chose Kansas City (don’t ask why...just take it) to deploy the fastest internet speeds in the world.  These speeds will pretty much transform your entire web experience and quite possibly help transform new web technologies for the world! 

So why did this supposed tech titan called “Google” choose Kansas City over the 1,000+ communities that applied for this opportunity?  We’re known for cows and BBQ, and not anything tech related...right?  First off, let’s go with luck.  Google will officially state that Kansas City was chosen because “we could build efficiently, make an impact on the community, and develop working partnerships with the local government, utility and community organizations.”  All well and good, and I buy it to some degree…but I’m thinking that we were awarded this prize because it’s probably a little more cost effective here in the Midwest.

The internet speeds that Google will provide are fast...really fast.  Like, 100 times faster than you probably have in your home right now.  So what is this going to do for you, and how can it “transform” your web experience?  Ultimately, home users can download and watch “cute kitten” videos on YouTube much faster, or stream Netflix in full HD.  “Great…that really transforms my life…thanks Google (heavy sarcasm)!”   While Google does care about your media consumption, there is a bigger picture here.  First; profit.  Businesses are in business to make money, right?  Google will make a few bucks off of this deal in the long run, not based upon providing the actual internet service, but mainly based upon their business model of ad revenue (faster/better internet experience = longer time online = more ad revenues).  Second, Google is a very “forward thinking” enterprise with a number of philanthropic ventures aimed at the “greater good” of the world.  And this venture is partly about innovation.  Kansas City; this isn’t charity to us.  We are just lucky they chose us as the test bed.  Given this opportunity, Google also hopes to spur innovation for new web technologies. Who knows what ideas and/or technologies this network will generate. 

One might think that Google would take a more active role in the development of these ideas and technologies, but alas, it appears that they are simply supplying the network and leaving the rest up to us.  I dig this approach, as it lets us “little guys” in on the action.  I can help make what I want of this project without a big bureaucratic control leading a painstaking process.  So ultimately, the success of this project really depends on the creativity of the Kansas City residents.  Again, Google has given us a “tool”—its potential use and application are up to us.  Kansas City, it’s time to think broad…and BIG!  Sure, this tool may improve our current businesses and home web experience, but the rest of the world (myself included) is looking at this opportunity for us to potentially create entirely new industries and technologies!

“So, uh…if it’s up to me, where do I even begin?”  Thankfully, a few local groups have stepped up to lead Kansas City’s efforts, including the Brainzooming Group, the Social Media Club of Kansas City, Think Big Partners and the Kauffman Foundation.  Under their leadership, we have been given the opportunity to vet our ideas to the world, and even have the chance to win seed/prize money for these ventures.

Kansas City has a infinite number of ways to benefit from this opportunity, so let’s focus on how amazing this opportunity really is.  The Mayor of Kansas City, MO was recently quoted in saying, "As a result of this announcement, we have become the most attractive city on the planet to entrepreneurs."  Yep, that’s right.  Because of this opportunity, Kansas City should see a good influx of tech-savvy businesses enter into our market.  A little bit of a stretch here, but Kansas City has a golden opportunity to become the next Silicon Valley of the world.

Now that I’m done telling you about the who’s, how’s and what’s of this project, I’m going to give you my own personal commentary and plea for ideas.  Kansas City and fellow earthlings, we have the opportunity to truly revolutionize the world.  I know what you’re thinking: Revolutionize the world?  Are you kidding me!?  I am not.  Technology is behind everything we do today. Even your common “ditch digger’s” job is, in some way, impacted by technology.   With this gift from Google, we have the opportunity to develop new ideas and technologies that can truly change and influence the way we do business, interact with media content, exchange ideas, etc., etc., etc.  But it’s up to all of us to come up with these “game changing” ideas.

Many have already been hard at work, developing ideas for how to best utilize this amazing gift from Google.  I’ve read through a number of the early ideas and some have novel merits, but honestly, none have made me stop and say “that’s a game changer.”  I recently read that we are now down to 19 finalists in The Gigabit Challenge, down from the original 113 entrants.  “Wait…did you just say only 113 entrants….are you kidding me….that’s it?”  Yeah, I’m a little perplexed that given this significant opportunity that only 113 people submitted ideas.  We all use the internet every day, we all interact with various mediums of content on a daily basis….are you telling me that we only have 113 people in this world with a semblance of an idea about how we could potentially leverage this great gift?  Honestly, I’m a little vexed by this.  Where’s my idea, you ask?  Oh yeah…forgot to enter I guess.   Ok, I guess there are a few barriers to entry; legal documents, protecting your intellectual property, etc, etc….so I don’t blame everyone for not entering….it probably was a little daunting.

So I want to make it clear, I am NOT discounting or discrediting any of the ideas in the competition, but I’m honestly wondering if we’ll see some truly “wow” ideas after Google Fiber is up and running.  Personally, I’d be a little afraid of vetting my idea in front of the world only to have it potentially stolen by somebody with much deeper pockets than myself.  So maybe I shouldn’t be discouraged by the ideas given so far.  Maybe this is an amazing start…better than we could have hoped for.  Start small, think big…and let that little seed grow.

Follow The Gigabit Challenge! @GBChallengeKC     #GBFinale

The Gigabit Challenge Announces Speakers: Senator Jerry Moran, Vint Cerf, Sly James, Joe Reardon, Kauffman Foundation

The Gigabit Challenge, a global business plan competition looking for entrepreneurial ideas to disrupt on the Google Fiber network, has announced its lineup of speakers, video presenters and event details for The Gigabit Challenge Finale on January 18, 2012 at the Kansas City Public Library (Country Club Plaza Branch).

The Gigabit Challenge Finale welcome address will begin promptly at 8:00 AM on January 18, 2012 with an introduction from United States Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS).  During the introduction, Moran will discuss the positive impact of Google Fiber, the importance of initiatives such as his Startup Act (announced in December of 2011 with co-sponsor Senator Mark Warner [D-VA]), and the entrepreneurial growth that Kansas City is experiencing.  

The Gigabit Challenge Finale will also feature video presentations from a number of national and local leaders.  Vint Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google and Advisory Board Member for The Gigabit Challenge, will welcome the contestants and discuss the next generations of Internet applications on Google Fiber.  Other video presenters include Mayor Sly James of Missouri, Mayor Joe Reardon of Kansas, Gigabit Challenge organizer Tyler Prochnow, and the Kauffman Foundation via their animated “sketchbook” video declaring Kansas City as the “City of Entrepreneurs”.  

To conclude The Gigabit Challenge Finale, Herb Sih of Think Big Partners will deliver a community address in which he will discuss behind-the-scenes details about Think Big Partners’ decision to host The Gigabit Challenge and exciting future initiatives.  The Gigabit Challenge Finale will close with an awards presentation where winner of the $100,000 Grand Prize, the $250,000 “Born Global” Prize and the People’s Choice Award will be announced.    A detailed schedule for the Finale can be found at http://gigabitchallenge.eventbrite.com/. 

The Gigabit Challenge Finale will stream live on January 18, 2012 from 8:00AM until 5:00PM at http://www.gigabitchallenge.com/live.  A number of live bloggers, social media experts and local and national media outlets will broadcast the Finale activities.  If you are interested in attending and covering The Gigabit Challenge Finale, please contact Allison Way at away@thinkbigpartners.com.

To register to attend The Gigabit Challenge Finale, please visit http://gigabitchallenge.eventbrite.com. 

Follow The Gigabit Challenge! @GBChallengeKC     #GBFinale

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Kauffman Sketches Kansas City as the City of Entrepreneurs

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

Have you ever seen a Kauffman Sketchbook?  It's a new YouTube initiative brought to you by the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City.  In the Sketchbooks, Kauffman literally draws the important entrepreneurial movements that are occurring in and around the Kansas City area.  

From defining entrepreneurial "Magic Sauce" to teaching how to play the "Money Game", the Kauffman Foundation Sketchbooks teach anything and everything that entrepreneurs may need to know in an artistic and creative way.

Narrated by Mayor Sly James and Mayor Joe Reardon, the "City of Entrepreneurs" Sketchbook provides more than KC entrepreneur education.  It tells the story of Kansas City entrepreneurship in the here and now.  From covering the Google Fiber initiative, the history of entrepreneurship in Kansas City and the companies that KC entrepreneurs can find inspiration from (for example, Kauffman Labs, Think Big Partners, KCSourceLink and many others), the video proclaims Kansas City as the City of Entrepreneurs. 

In the video, Mayor Joe Reardon may have stated it best: "What's really being built here is the worldwide platform for entrepreneurship and the bridge that will take us into the future.  Together, we are committed to making Kansas City the City of Entrepreneurs, where we celebrate those who take risks, apply new technology and have the imagination and ingenuity to create something new." 

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