The Scary Truth About Mobile Entrepreneurship

With One Week KC nearly wrapping up, the still-dedicated entrepreneurs headed over to Union Station Monday, June 25^th, to hear a panel of speakers discuss one of the hottest topics in entrepreneurship—the mobile world of startups.  Panelists shared some great insight about the limitations of the mobile industry and how to overcome them.

The scary truth: we’re running out of data

Allison Remsen of Mobile Future, a company located in the politically-charged D.C. area, discussed one of the big barriers to mobile entrepreneurship in the future—the probability of the mobile spectrum maxing out.  With as many mobile users as there are today (more than the U.S. population!), all of the data being transferred has to slow down at some point. This could take a toll on anybody’s mobile experience by the end of next year! Luckily, policymakers and businesses are becoming more and more aware of this problem; they’re eagerly working to create more data so that those entrepreneurs who rely on this technology can keep their businesses running smoothly. 

Internet for everyone

Toby Rush, founder and CEO of EyeVerify, mentioned another limitation of the mobile business world—inot having “ubiquitous broadband access.”  As coverage expands into more rural areas (like surrounding KC), it will encourage growth of the industry as well.  In his opinion, smartphones have impacted society even more so than the Internet because they allow the of information travel to be nearly instantaneous, meaning that everyone should have access these powerful tools.

Apps are the future of small businesses, and KC needs more developers!

Kansas State Representative Mike Burgess said his main concern was the lack of IT professionals in America.  He’d love to see more programming classes at the high school level, and the others agreed that more incentives for women to go into the career field are necessary as well.  These coders need hands-on experience, so more businesses should take on IT interns in order to help the industry flourish.

Key takeaways?  We need to be aware that we are nearing a data crisis and it will take young software engineers (and their mentors) to help up maintain the mobile scene.  Trust me when I say Kansas City (and the nation) will thank us for it! 

A Must-attend Event for App Developers, Mobile Entrepreneurs and One Week KC Attendees

In just a few days, Why Status Quo is hosting the event for app developers, mobile entrepreneurs and One Week KC attendees.  It's called GoMobileKC and it is the city-wide nerve center for startups to learn, share and lead in a mobile paradigm.

With two guest speakers, audience interaction and loads of expert advice, GoMobileKC is the premier mobile business event taking place during One Week KC.  Attendees are sure to walk away with insight, knowledge and education about the mobile sphere that they may not get at any other One Week event.  The event will feature practical, yet uncommon advice for entrepreneurs, app developers and business leaders interested in taking the leap into the mobile world.

Hurry!  GoMobileKC will take place in just a few days.  The event takes place on June 21, 2012 at bizperc (1800 Baltimore) from 7:00-9:00PM.  Reserve your spot and register today for a ticket to this one-of-a-kind event.  Register here and get mobile!

Follow One Week KC for the next 8 days and get in on the entrepreneurial conversation!  #1wkc

Celebrate Good Times, KC! One Week KC is Here

Although we've only been counting down for a month or so, it seems like One Week KC took forever to get here.  For many people in the Think Big office, it kind of feels like Christmas.

Why?  Because One Week KC is a week+ of pure entrepreneurial celebration.  It's a chance for startups and entrepreneurs in Kansas City to celebrate starting up, holding strong and thinking big in business.
We're ready to celebrate, are you?

On behalf of everyone here at Think Big Partners, we want to wish you a happy and fun One Week KC.  Be sure to check out all of the great events going on for the next nine days and we hope to see you at a few of them!

And be sure to check out Think Big's events going on during One Week KC, too!

• June 20th:  iKC, Kansas City's premier conference on innovation and entrepreneurship, a day-long event that will feature exhibits, breakout sessions, expert speakers, Fire Up pitches, Inspire Talks, networking opportunities, and an after-party at the Kansas City Power & Light District
• June 21: GoMobileKC will be the city-wide nerve center as our participants learn, share and lead in this new paradigm. Join us and be catalysts for change at GoMobileKC.
• June 22: Startup Waffles was started by the StartupDigest co-founders Chris & Brendan to bring together founders and hackers for tasty breakfast and great conversations. Please RSVP at the link: http://startupwaffleskc.eventbrite.com/
• June 25: Startup Poker  gathers together the absolute best entrepreneurial talent in Kansas City for an evening of Texas Hold’em. No laptops, no tech talks or sales pitches: just poker and excellent company.  $50 buy-in required. RSVP here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3608183173.

Get in on the social action during One Week and tweet #1wkc! 

One Week KC's Only Mobile Entrepreneurship Event: GoMobileKC

When over 300,000 apps have been developed in 3 years and apps have been downloaded over 10.9 billion times, it's become pretty obvious: mobile entrepreneurship is the new black.  And it's the exact reason that Vince Vaughan, President and Founder of Why Status Quo, has decided to host One Week KC's only mobile event--GoMobileKC.

GoMobileKC is a mobile mini-conference during One Week KC that will act as the city-wide nerve center for mobile entrepreneurs, app developers and startups to learn, share and lead in a mobile-driven paradigm. The event takes place on June 21, 2012 from 7:00-9:00pm at bizperc.  

GoMobileKC will cover the challenges that many mobile entrepreneurs face, discuss what will happen after the mobile “Gold Rush”, feature presentations from two mobile entrepreneurs and address business challenges from the audience.  Speakers include Kirk Hasenzahl, co-founder and CEO of RareWire and Dan Stratman, founder of AirportLife. 

GoMobileKC will leave the audience members with cascades of information about the mobile age and how mobile has impacted entrepreneurship.  The audience will walk away with 1) threats to avoid when they don’t use ambition as part of their business strategy, especially when it pertains to mobile; 2) the obligations a business must use when tackling mobile; and 3) an awareness of the opportunities that mobile may have for a today’s Kansas City entrepreneur.

“Mobile is part of a broader revolution,” says Vince Vaughan, organizer of GoMobileKC.  “We have gone from computer to social to mobile really fast.  It’s almost too much to keep up with.  The companies that don’t incorporate mobile as part of their business strategy, will be the ones stuck and left out in the cold.”

GoMobileKC is a part of One Week KC, a nine-day celebration of entrepreneurship from June 18-26, 2012 in Kansas City, Missouri.  The mini-conference is the premier  mobile business event taking place during One Week KC.  It will feature practical, yet uncommon advice for  entrepreneurs, app developers and business leaders interested in taking the leap into the mobile world.

“This is the premier mobile business event taking place during One Week KC,” says Vaughan.  “It’s the one event that a mobile entrepreneur has to go to.  If they don’t go, they risk ceding ground to competitors already working in this new space.” 

GoMobileKC will take place on June 21, 2012 from 7:00-9:00pm Think Big Partners’ coworking space, bizperc, at 1800 Baltimore in Kansas City, Missouri.  To learn more about GoMobileKC, visit www.gomobilekc.com.

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Do You Love Waffles? Syrup? Entrepreneurship? One Week KC’s Startup Waffles is For You!

As Harry Caray Would say, “Hay, you like waffles, I know I sure do...Hay, if you were a waffle and you were starving would you eat yourself?”

But what does this have to do with entrepreneurship, startups or One Week KC?  It’s Startup Waffles. 

It’s time to rise and shine and smell the waffles, Kansas City!  If you’re a founder, hacker, investor or startup enthusiast, One Week KC and Think Big Partners has the event for you.
Like the Avengers, we are asking you to assemble Friday, June 22nd and tackle a challenge not meant for any mortal man or woman—it’s all-you-can-eat waffles! Startup Waffles was originally started by the StartupDigest co-founders Chris & Brendan to bring together founders and hackers for tasty breakfast and great conversation.  And now, Kansas City is on board.

So ready your tummies, gather your knife and fork, and bring your own syrup if you’d like (we’ll also have syrup on hand, but hey, we’re not going to tell you how to live your life) and join us at bizperc (1800 Baltimore) for a waffle feast of the ages.

To learn more about Startup Waffles, along with the rest of One Week KC, check it out right here. You can reserve your spot for the wild waffle rumpus Friday, June 22 from 9:00- 10:30am at 1800 Baltimore here. See you bright and early on June 22^nd, entrepreneurs!

Be sure to follow One Week KC on Twitter for more events: #1wkc  

Entrepreneurs, Join the One Week Revolution

This one's for you, entrepreneurs.  Are you ready to join the One Week Revolution?

One Week is a nine-day celebration of entrepreneurship.  It's a week's worth of sharing ideas with hundreds of great thinkers.  It's a time to come together, get inspired, learn and connect.  It's all about making Kansas City America's Most Entrepreneurial City...and you're invited.

This week, the One Week KC site launched with an effort to unite entrepreneurs and build the community.  Taking place on June 18-26, 2012, One Week will bring together innovators, thinkers, purveyors of aspiration and creators of what's next to become a part of something bigger in Kansas City.

One Week will be made up of a large number of Kansas City entrepreneur events including iKC, which will take place on June 20 at the H&R Block Corporate Headquarters.  A full list of One Week events will be unleashed soon.

According to Adam Coomes, organizer of One Week, Kansas City will be the place to be June 18-26.  “There are many reasons One Week should happen in KC.  First of all, we have great entrepreneurial events in KC already.  They build the community...but people don’t know about them," he says.  "One Week KC will help others meet the startup community and bring new people out.  We want to boost the startup scene in KC and use this to lead us toward our ultimate goal—to become America’s Most Entrepreneurial City.” 

For now, you can follow One Week on Twitter using the hashtag #1wkc.  More details soon to come.

It's All About iKC

iKC, the premier conference on innovation and entrepreneurship, was born out of a merger between two successful events - the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce's Innovation Conference and Think Big Partners' Think Big Kansas City Conference. This year, the two organizations have teamed up to bring Kansas City one of the country's biggest and best innovation and entrepreneurship conferences.

iKC 2012 will take place on June 20 at the H&R Block World Headquarters in downtown Kansas City. It is a day-long event that will feature exhibits, breakout sessions, expert speakers, Fire Up pitches, Inspire Talks, networking opportunities, and an after-party at the Kansas City Power & Light District.

The Chamber and Think Big Partners invite budding entrepreneurs, startups, students, mid-size businesses, or large corporations who are looking to spark innovation, generate ideas, foster creativity, and make new connections to attend this year's conference.

"As we've moved forward toward The Chamber's Big 5 goal of making Kansas City 'America's most entrepreneurial city,' we've realized we need to foster an ecosystem and a culture that supports our local entrepreneurs," said Jim Heeter, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. "We do that by providing events and resources like iKC. By joining forces with Think Big Partners, we're taking the conversation on innovation to a whole new level."

"We look forward to co-hosting iKC in order to blur the line between innovation and entrepreneurship and to spark the conversations that lead to taking action," said Herb Sih, managing partner of Think Big Partners. "Ultimately, we hope this conference will further reinforce Kansas City as a place where entrepreneurs and innovators can collaborate, launch successful ventures, and create sustainable jobs for the future."

The keynote address will feature Dr. Michael E Raynor who will present, "The Innovator's Manifesto: Deliberate Disruption for Breakthrough Growth." The keynote address will prove that a strategic approach to innovation is systematically more successful. As a director with Deloitte Consulting LLP, Raynor works with leading companies from a range of industries around the world. Additionally, Raynor has written three books on innovation and his most recent, The Innovator's Manifesto, demonstrates that Raynor's unique take on innovation can actually improve the ability to predict accurately which innovations will be successful.

The conference will also feature a number of breakout sessions hosted by various local experts and entrepreneurs on topics such as creating strategic partnerships, how to create the perfect pitch, the communication secrets of Steve Jobs, the power of crowd-based marketing, and more. Visit www.sparkinginnovation.org/agenda to view a complete schedule of breakout sessions.

A unique feature of iKC will be Kansas City's first Fearless Innovators' and Ruthless Entrepreneurs' Unconventional Pitch - "Fire Up" for short. With only fifteen seconds per presentation slide, Fire Up presentations will put entrepreneurs in a hot seat and will force them to be concise, to think on their feet and to spark the interest of the crowd. Watch an example of a Fire Up pitch here. To participate in a Fire Up pitch, visit the Fire Up page.

This year, iKC is offering two types of exhibit booths for those interested in showing off a company, event, or idea. To learn more about the exhibition opportunities, download the exhibit packet.

Early bird tickets for iKC are on sale now and range from $60 - $109. After May 23, ticket prices increase to $75 - $189.

iKC is one of the many events happening during One Week KC on June 18-26, 2012. One Week KC is a consolidation of the region's large and grassroots events that help educate, inspire, encourage, and celebrate entrepreneurship in Kansas City's quest to become "America's most entrepreneurial city." One Week events include tech meetups, classrooms, conferences, networking, speakers, parties, and more. Learn more at www.oneweekkc.com.

iKC is sponsored by Master Your Card Missouri, H&R Block, Inboun, the Kansas City Business Journal, KC Business Magazine, Hovey Williams, and The Aladdin Holiday Inn Hotel. 

For more information on iKC, event updates, and tickets, visit the event site www.sparkinginnovation.org, or contact Katie Daily at             (816) 374-5472      .

One Week KC Presents Entrepreneur Day at the K for Entrepreneurs and Startups

The rumors are true: Kansas City is throwing a 9-day celebration to recognize the city's growing movement of entrepreneurship, startups and innovation.  It's called One Week KC and it takes place on June 18-26, 2012 throughout the entire city.

According to Adam Coomes, organizer of One Week KC, the 9-day celebration is meant to propel the Chamber's Big 5 Entrepreneurial Initiative ahead and to build Kansas City into America's Most Entrepreneurial City.

“There are many reasons One Week should happen in KC," says Coomes.  "First of all, we have great entrepreneurial events in Kansas City already.  Although they build up the community, people don’t always know about them.  One Week KC will help others meet the startup community and bring new people out.  We want to boost the startup scene in KC and use this to lead us toward our ultimate goal—to become America’s Most Entrepreneurial City.” 

As the grand finale for One Week, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Big 5 Entrepreneurial Initiative is helping to host Entrepreneur Day at the K on June 26th.  At "E Day at the K", entrepreneurs are invited to watch the Royals take on the Tampa Bay Rays, network with one another, and tune into special announcements from Mayor Sly James, the Johnson and Wyandotte County Council of Mayors and other area Mayors.

Entrepreneurs in attendance will also have the opportunity to throw the first pitch or watch from the field during batting practice.

Tickets for E Day at the K are $13 for both a Field Box and Field Plaza seat.  The game starts at 7:10pm with mayoral announcements to take place beforehand.

Stay tuned.  More information about One Week and Entrepreneur Day at the K is coming...