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!  

Global Coworking Unconference Conference Hits Austin this Spring

According to Deskmag, the coworking movement has roughly doubled in size each year since 2006.  This has been all too apparent in Kansas City (think bizperc, OfficePort, KCCowork, Beta Blox, etc.).  The coworking craze has taken hold of the nation...and for good reason.  Coworking gives entrepreneurs who would have never even met the chance to put their heads together almost every single day.

But just as there are thousands of entrepreneurs who cowork, there are also thousands of ambassadors who help make coworking happen.  One of these organizations reigns from Austin, Texas...and they're the group that's hosting the coworking conference of the year--Global Coworking Unconference Conference on March 8, 2012.

What can coworkers expect at GCUC?  According to the team behind the (un)conference, a lot.  In fact, GCUC isn't just one conference--it's a conference and an unconference rolled into one.  Allow us to explain.

GCUC will have a Conference Track, the perfect event for those who are new to coworking.  During this event, noobies to the coworking world can ask pertinent questions and sit in on enlightening discussions from national coworking leaders (like NextSpace, Blankspaces, Loosecubes, Deskmag, CoCo, Launchpad Creatives and more).

The Unconference Track, on the other hand, is a bit more loosey-goosey.  During this portion, attendees will have the chance to learn about new and exciting tools in the coworking world.  The Unconference invites attendees to come ready to make passions realized and to share a vision for the community.  But as GCUC proudly states, "it wouldn't be an unconference if we had a schedule!"...so prepare for anything!

To learn more about the Global Coworking Unconference Conference, be sure to check out the schedule, speakers and what to expect online at http://www.austingcuc.com/.

Follow GCUC! @AustinGCUC
Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

More Pictures from Kansas City Get Your Business Online

Day 2 of Kansas City Get Your Business Online is in full swing at OfficePort in the Crossroads District of Kansas City.  With a successful first day, the event has attracted thousands of small business owners, entrepreneurs, visionaries, and Google fans to the Kansas City coworking space for the event's second day.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to meet with Google experts and learn how to get your business online.  Swing by OfficePort today and check out the expo if you didn't make the registration deadline.

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig

Kansas City Get Your Business Online with Google Happening NOW

Today marks the first day of Kansas City Get Your Business Online, a forum for local small businesses and entrepreneurs to better understand and learn how to effectively use the Internet for their business ventures. At the event, Google experts are sitting down with Kansas City entrepreneurs to teach search engine optimization, Google Places, Google Adwords, building and running a website, and much more.

This morning, Kansas City Get Your Business Online brought together both the KCMO and the KCK mayors (Sly James and Joe Reardon) as they spoke about the city's giant opportunity to innovate on the Google Fiber network.  Of the 1,100 cities that applied to be the first city in the nation with a fiber network, Kansas City was chosen due to its growing tech base and entrepreneurial vibrancy.

In addition, the attendees of Kansas City Get Your Business Online had the chance to listen to the team of Burns-McDonnell, an extremely successful engineering firm in Kansas City.  In 1898, Clinton Burns and Robert McDonnell themselves chose Kansas City, MO as their original base of operations because it was growing quickly and it had the most potential.  Burns and McDonnell chose correctly: Since then, the firm has grown to fill three office buildings with more than 2,200 employee-owners.  We like to think that Kansas City is back to that fast-paced lifestyle with the implementation of new tech advances like Google Fiber. 

Because OfficePort, the host of Get Your Business Online, is a friendly neighbor of bizperc and Think Big Partners, the Kansas City coworking space invited us to check out the event. Of course, we snapped a few pictures:

Day 2 of Kansas City Get Your Business Online starts tomorrow. Sorry, guys; the event has already reached capacity. However, feel free to come by and talk with Google product experts one-on-one in the online expo area.

Written by Allison Way

@AllisonThinkBig

Get Your Business Online with Help From Google!

Not on Google Places?  Struggling to develop an effective website?  Can't wrap your head around SEO?

Great news, Kansas City.  Google has the event made just for you.

On August 31st and September 1st, Google is presenting Kansas City Get Your Business Online - a new program that is easy, free and a fast way to get your business online.  At this event, you will learn how to develop a Google Places page, how to start a great website and much more.  Google will provide the web professionals and computers...the only thing you need to provide is an open mind.

But what does this opportunity mean for Kansas City entrepreneurs, anyway?  According to Greg Kratofil, legal counsel provider for Kansas City's Google Fiber initiative, the implementation of Google Fiber has started a growth spurt in Kansas City.  Kansas City Get Your Business Online is a testament to that.  With Google Fiber coming to Kansas City, entrepreneurs will find more opportunities, ideas and resources in order to reach the American Dream from their very own Kansas City.

"I think this is a game-changer for the entire region," says Kratofil. "The opportunity and tools that we are going ot get out of this investment by Google will put us on the map."

If your business is ready to get online, pre-register to reserve your spot (spaces are filling up fast, so get to it!).  This event will take place at Officeport (208 West 19th Street in Kansas City, Missouri) from 7:30am until 6:30pm.

Get online with Google and start Thinking Big!

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig

8 Reasons Why Kansas City Coworking Works

"Coworking spaces only belong in Silicon Valley."

"There aren't any coworking spaces in Kansas City."

"Coworking is just a fad."

False. False. False. 

Working in a shared and collaborative coworking space has become a trend for entrepreneurs and small business owners alike.  But these coworking spots are not just popping up in Silicon Valley or tech hubs like Boston and Austin.  Coworking spaces are everywhere; from Denver to Nashville, New Orleans to Omaha.  And of course, there are a few dynamite coworking spaces in Kansas City. 

But of all cities, why cowork in the City of Fountains?  There are 8 great reasons why Kansas City coworking may be just what you need.

1. Kansas City is creative
With the Kansas City Maker Faire, the KC Chamber Innovation Conference and many other creative events, companies, and people, Kansas City is bursting with creativity and innovation.  Come see the creativity for yourself in any of Kansas City's coworking spaces.

2. Kansas City is tight-knit
Kansas City is big enough to make an impact, but small enough to remain a tight-knit community.  That means that Kansas City is a friendly, neighborly city in the heart of America.

3. Kansas City is thriving
Google Fiber.  Zaarly.  Think Big Partners.  These are just a few examples of the new implementations that are catching some major attention in Kansas City.  These additions to KC prove that the city is growing and thriving, making it the ideal spot to cowork.

4. Kansas City is busy
With dozens of daily networking events, launch parties, cocktail receptions and banquets, Kansas City is always in hustle-and-bustle mode.  That means that there are hundreds of people to meet, places to see and events to attend.

5. Kansas City is entrepreneurially strong
Kansas City has a vibrancy to it and much of it comes from the startups that have launched in the area.  From hundreds of local restaurants to thriving startup companies, Kansas City is becoming a hub for entrepreneurs and small businesses alike. 

6. Kansas City has history
Although KC is strong when it comes to startups and entrepreneurship, it is also rich in big business history.  From Helzberg to H&R Block to Hallmark (the 3 big H's), Kansas City knows how to take a small businesses and make them go down in history.

7. Kansas City is refreshing
Get away from the superficialities of the Silicon Valley area and steer clear of the smog taking over Boston and come to Kansas City to cowork!  If you need a step away from the obvious tech hubs of the nation, Kansas City is the city to cowork in.

8. Kansas City has the space
Currently, Kansas City has three very different coworking spaces.  Innovation Cafe, Officeport and bizperc all target unique entrepreneurs, freelancers and small business owners who are looking to network, think outside the box and of course...cowork.

Read More: Which KC Coworking Space is Right For Me?

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig

Kansas City Coworking Spaces

In a recent study conducted by Deskwanted, it was found that it is cheaper to work at a coworking space than in a coffee shop.  Although prices do vary from city to city, one thing is for sure: coworking is worth it.  Entrepreneurs, startup companies, freelancers and small business owners can greatly benefit from carrying out day-to-day business in coworking spaces.  But where are the coworking spaces in Kansas City?  Do they even exist?

Of course they do.  In fact, Kansas City is the home of three innovative coworking spaces.    

bizperc

1800 Baltimore

Kansas City, MO 64108

Bringing a fresh, innovative, and collaborative approach to Kansas City coworking, the bizperc office space was opened in August of 2010 to support entrepreneurs, startup companies and small businesses.  Located in the heart of the thriving and eclectic Crossroads Arts District, bizperc is the home of many startups and established Kansas City businesses.  Powered by Think Big Partners, bizperc provides on-site startup resources (i.e. legal, web design, logo design, accounting, marketing, PR and much more), a productivity center, meeting rooms, event space, free coffee, and a Wi-Fi enabled rooftop garden.  But there’s more to bizperc than meets the eye: the team behind bizperc has strategically built it so that every entrepreneur’s needs are met—from incorporating natural light to providing sound masking capabilities, from handing out a version of 5-Hour Energy to setting up a video/audio suite—bizperc has it all.  For more information or to book a tour, please visit bizperc.com or call 816-842-5244.

OfficePort

208 W. 19^th Street (among others)

Kansas City, MO 64108

As one of the first coworking spaces to hit Kansas City, OfficePort (located in the Crossroads Arts District and the heart of the River Market) is best defined as an open, supportive, and affordable workspace for entrepreneurs, freelancers and small businesses.  With an unfinished and techy ambiance, OfficePort is far from the stuffy, traditional and corporate workplace. Housing over 30 successful small businesses among its three locations (the 3^rd location is in Chicago), OfficePort is the ideal home for someone who wants to collaborate, cowork and “weave” with others.  To check out OfficePort for yourself, visit officeportnetwork.com or call 816-994-7311 (Crossroads location).

Innovation Café

2029 Wyandotte

Kansas City, MO 64108

The newest coworking space in Kansas City is Innovation Café which launched at the beginning of this month.  As a workplace for today’s entrepreneurs, freelancers, and virtual agencies, Innovation Café welcomes all industries: from software companies to designers, from freelancers to engineers.  Although Innovation Café only opened a few weeks ago, the coworking space already houses five growing companies from a variety of different industries.  Additionally, Innovation Café offers an event space that is expected to be quite popular for launch parties, private parties and networking get-togethers.  For a closer look at Innovation Café, visit icafekc.com or call 816-994-9140.

Take your pick, Kansas City entrepreneurs.  There are three inspiring and modern coworking spaces out there that will not only help to grow your startup idea, but will cost less than working out of Starbucks! 

Written by Allison Way.

@AllisonThinkBig.