Interested in Think Big Partners? Join Us for a Tour

What does Think Big Partners do? Can I join your coworking space?  How I can I work with Think Big Partners?  What services do you provide?  This is just a taste of the questions we get on a day-to-day basis.  We want you to come by Think Big so we can answer these questions—and many others—and help you find the best way to work with us!

The best way to get in touch with the Think Big team is by joining us on one of our tours.  Tours take place about every other Friday from 12:45-1:30pm (get there right at 12:45 or we will start without you!).  Reservations are open now through the end of August:

• May 3
• May 17
• May 31
• June 14
• June 28
• July 12
• July 26
• August 9
• August 23

Join us if you’re interested in coworking, office space, meeting space, and learning how Think Big Partners can help you and your business. 

Reserve your spot today!

CandyCam Debuts SkyHook Robot at Open House

Tired of watching robots just walk around on the ground like humans? Come see one fly through the air! CandyCam, a member of the Think Big coworking space, will host an Open House on Wednesday, March 27, from 4-8pm at 1800 Baltimore in Kansas City, MO. Enjoy snacks and chatter as the engineering team gives demonstrations of their first product, the SkyHook! 

But what exactly is a SkyHook? The SkyHook is a suspended robotic camera platform. This platform is designed to achieve still shots that are prohibitively difficult and expensive with traditional positional camera equipment. When SkyHook launches, videographers everywhere will have an affordable tool enabling them to create gorgeous, dynamic shots that have been unobtainable until now.

Come enjoy conversation, munchies and CandyCam's flying robotic camera platform, the SkyHook. 

Register to attend here.  

Follow CandyCam for more info! @GoCandyCam

Is the Work-from-Home Boom About to Bust?

Headlines all over the business community have been dominated by Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer’s announcement that, starting June 1, employees will no longer be allowed to work remotely. Any employees who fail to show up to work in person at Yahoo! headquarters will be fired.

The announcement sent shockwaves through the tech world, a community which was built on telecommuting and is one of the few sectors still actively encouraging it. Beyond the initial division of support/anger, there was an overarching sense that whatever the outcome of Mayer’s decision, her new rule is perhaps an indicator that the working-from-home boom is about to bust.

Mayer’s reasons were clear in the leaked memo, stating,

To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side. That is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices. Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings. Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home. We need to be one Yahoo!, and that starts with physically being together.

Her words are sobering, particularly in light of the recent scandal involving a high-level developer outsourcing his work to China. The man, who worked mostly from home, made a six-figure salary and paid the Chinese firm a fraction of that to do his work for him. With all that downtime, he did what anyone with so much money and free time would do: surf Reddit and watch cat videos (seriously, that’s what he did).

Simply put, it’s hard to keep track of what work is being done by who and at what quality level when so many workers are scattered all over the place. And research has shown that executives and CEOs still spend about 80% of their time in face-to-face meetings, because it’s much easier to communicate and get a sense for what’s going on that through email exchanges. Companies cannot survive on email alone, because it’s the personal interactions, the unanticipated run-ins, and the day-to-day chatter that provides an environment ripe for innovation, collaboration, and ingenuity.

Yahoo! has been clear that they are not forecasting a coworking space renaissance in the tech community, but rather making a move that is necessary for them to move forward as a company. Being a CEO is about leveraging and directing current needs for future growth, and Mayer’s decision certainly has an eye on both.

At bizperc, we see the importance of coworking. Great things happen when entrepreneurs share space to collaborate, tinker and communicate together. Mayer’s decision is a bold one, and while the ramifications remain to be seen, odds are the tech, entrepreneur and startup community will be watching closely to see what happens next.

Note: the author wrote this article from home. He didn't get on Reddit once.

Jeb and Patrick: A bizperc Coworking Collaboration Story

We often think of collaboration as something that only happens intentionally through formal meetings or events. While that may often be the case, it’s also true that collaboration is often embedded in startup environments, and perhaps especially so at Think Big Partners’ coworking space, bizperc. Many times, entrepreneurial collaboration grows organically from proximity and shared space.  This happened to be the case with ambitious startup leaders Jeb Ory and Patrick Stoddart.

Jeb Ory

Jeb Ory is the co-founder of Phone2Action, a mobile campaign platform that's rewriting the rules of community empowerment. Patrick Stoddart recently joined the bizperc coworking space as founder of Revdel, a cloud-based communications and event-scheduling service provider in education, government, religious organizations, and more. The two began talking since they sat a couple desks away from each other. We'll let Patrick tell the rest.

"After chatting back and forth over a couple months," Patrick says, "we realized that while our products and audiences might have been different, Jeb and I were utilizing very similar technology.  A month and a half ago, just before landing his first significant contract with the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), Jeb's CTO unfortunately had to step down. That left a huge need for fulfilling technical requirements prior to the start of the contract."

From there, the collaboration seemed almost effortless.  

"Knowing me, he scooted over in his chair and asked if I wouldn't mind helping with his development needs. The needs were pretty straightforward, so I agreed and built him some projects and pieces that he needed for the startup."

Patrick smiles at this point in the interview. "It turns out that Jeb was going on a gospel tour in the South—Louisville, Jackson, Memphis, Baton Rouge, Mobil, Birmingham—with Marvin Sapp, a well-known gospel singer and charter school founder. BAEO was utilizing Jeb's platform to gain support for charter schools in marginalized communities with few desirable school options."

Patrick Stoddart

"I happened to walk by Jeb one day," Patrick continues, "and he asked me if I wanted to join him on the tour for technical support. I said, 'Let me think about it.' I came back five minutes later and said, 'Okay, I've thought about it, and I can't think of a reason not to, so let's do it!' We took a look at my schedule and decided that I would attend the first half of the tour."

When asked about the turnout, Patrick had encouraging data to illustrate the positive impact of the BAEO/Phone2Action partnership. "We had 12,000 attendees, with over 25% of participants using Phone2Action. We were pulling data all night and sending it to BAEO, and that data helped them make informed decisions about where to focus their resources." At the time of writing, Jeb was still on the tour.

Their collaboration a so successful that the two decided to see what other ways they could branch out as entrepreneurs. 

"We've talked about other ways to leverage our products," Patrick begins. "We want to be able to keep in touch with product launch, so on Wednesday morning at 1 Million Cups we leveraged Phone2Action for content acquisition, collecting over 70 user's information. 

Reflecting on the collaboration, Jeb has nothing but glowing remarks for Patrick and Think Big Partners. “We are thrilled to work together with the great people of Think Big. In fact, one day I looked around and realized that I had received help in some fashion from 10 different people since I moved into Think Big last September. All I can say is WOW. And getting to work with Patrick? Now that's something EXTRA special. He's one of the best engineers I have ever met; like Zuckerberg smart. KC, keep an eye on this one," 

The Kansas City startup community is quickly gaining recognition as one of the premier sources for innovation, thanks to people like Jeb and Patrick. Their startup collaboration is the product of the Think Big Partners/bizperc open environment—a startup hub that's humming with conversation, networking, and opportunity. It's people like Jeb and Patrick—ambitious, open-minded, and generous entrepreneurs—that make the Kansas City startup community such an exciting place to be.

The 5 Reasons Every Office Needs a Coffee Bar

Here at Think Big Partners, we'll admit it: we're pretty spoiled.  We have fantastic, collaborative coworkers, a modern coworking space and a whole lot of freedom.  But we became the most spoiled of all when we installed our very own gourmet coffee bar.

Our coffee bar is top-of-the-line complete with an espresso machine, a top-notch bean grinder, flavor pumps, percolators and some of the best beans and teas in the world (courtesy of Kansas City's The Roasterie).  Our office coffee bar is pretty extraordinary.  And we know that a lot of other offices and coworking spaces in the area don't provide the amazing coffee that we do.  But an office doesn't have to have all the fancy equipment to provide coworkers and employees with a great cup of coffee.  All you really need is a high quality coffee grinder, a brewer and some coffee beans.  

So why don't most office provide these three coffee essentials?  We're not sure.  Not only is it super easy to set up (and not that expensive), but having an office coffee bar reaps many more benefits.  And here, for your coffee-drinking pleasure, are some of the biggest benefits we've noticed by having a coffee bar in our coworking space: 

1.  Saves us a &*@!load of time 

I performed a little test.  While my coworker walked to our coffee bar and made herself a vanilla cappuccino, I headed down the street (about 1 block) and ordered a vanilla cappuccino from a local cafe.  It took my coworkers approximately 3 minutes and 21 seconds to prepare her own vanilla cappuccino and sit back down at her desk.  It took me, on the other hand, 17 minutes and 41 seconds to get my coffee at the cafe and sit down at my desk.  My coworker gave herself an extra 14 minutes and 20 seconds to accomplish the work she needed to that day.  I lost 14 minutes and 20 seconds.  In other words, having a coffee bar in the office could save the average coworker approximately 1 hour and 12 minutes every week.  Ever wish you could stop work at 4:00 on Fridays?  Now, you can.  Just install a brewer, a grinder and voila! More time with the kids on Friday night.  

2.  Encourages people to come see us  

Ever wish clients would come to you for a change?  With a coffee bar, they might!  Instead of meeting in the local coffee shop, offer for your clients or other meetings to come to your office for coffee.  When you have a coffee bar, almost everyone will say yes.  Once you get them in the building, they're in your territory and you can be in control of the conversation.  Thank you coffee! 

3.  Spread the love 

Having a coffee bar isn't just great for new meetings, it also works in favor of your coworkers!  If you're the head of the office, install a coffee bar in the office and you'll be everybody's favorite boss.  This seemingly "small" employee perk could change the mood and atmosphere of the entire office.  

4.  Control your order

Ever think that maybe, just maybe, that coffee barista "decaffeinated" you?  He probably didn't...but you never know.  Having a coffee bar in the office allows you to control your order 100% of the time.  People can get pretty particular about their coffee orders.  But having a coffee bar in the office allows you to put just the right amount of coffee, milk, sugar, creamer and whatever else (we even provide chocolate syrup!) into your Cup of Joe. 

5.  Saves money

Every time you run into the coffee shop, a standard order will cost you at least $4.00 (that doesn't include that delicious-looking berry-filled croissant).  But installing a coffee bar in your office doesn't cost a whole lot.  Depending on how much you provide, a coffee bar can run relatively cheap.  All you need is a coffee grinder, a coffee brewer, a few bags of coffee beans and installation (which The Roasterie offers for about $150).  After that, it's just a matter of buying coffee beans (which you can buy at a wholesale price when you buy in bulk!) and any other flavorings, cups and stirrers.  A cup of coffee from your very own coffee bar will only cost you about $.15.  Worth it!

We love our coffee bar.  And we want to share the caffeinated love with you!  Check out a few pictures of our coffee bar (yeah, we kicked it up a few notches...we have more than just a grinder and a brewer!): 

At our coworking space, bizperc, we have always have a Drink of the Day!

We brew up The Roasterie's air roasted coffee every morning and afternoon for our members.

All of the essentials!  Mugs, creamer and to-go cups. 

For the non-coffee drinkers, we add a little "varie-tea"! 

We amped up of coffee bar with flavorings, toppings and more.

What'll it be today?

The coffee bar is a great place to gather for impromptu meetings and lunch breaks.

Learn more about setting up your own office coffee bar by contacting The Roasterie.  

Follow our coworking space! @bizperc 

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

City of Kansas City Answers Small Business Questions During Public bizperc Office Hours

What kind of marketing data and research can I obtain from Kansas City?  What kind of technologies will aid me and my small business this year?  Am I following all of the city requirements to run an efficient business in Kansas City?

Entrepreneurs, we know you have all of these questions.  And now, you can get answers during bizperc's FREE office hours!


On Wednedsay, January 16, bizperc will be hosting public office hours for small business owners and entrepreneurs in conjunction with KC BizCare and the city of Kansas City, Missouri.

Kansas City entrepreneurs, small business owners and members of the bizperc coworking space are invited to register for free office hours and ask questions about small business requirements in KC, Kansas City resources and how to obtain data about the city of Kansas City.

Office hours will be run by John Pajor of KC BizCare, who will answer questions that entrepreneurs and small business owners may have about city requirements as well as small business resources in the community.

Millie Crossland, technology project liaison for Kansas City, Missouri will inform entrepreneurs and small business owners on how to research and find local data, city statistics and censuses about KC small business.  In addition, Millie will provide information about the many innovative ways the the city of Kansas City uses breaking technology.

The free two-on-one bizperc office hours will take place on Wednesday, January 16 from 12:00-3:00pm.  In order to sign up for your 30 minute time slot, please email Sarah Snyder at sarah.snyder@thinkbigpartners.com.  Office hours will take place at bizperc (1800 Baltimore, Kansas City, MO) on the 4th floor.

Follow bizperc! @bizperc

Think Big Member Derek Olsen Hosts The Four Week Financial Turnaround Book Release Holiday Party

Author, speaker, and founder of Beatnik Budget (and member of Think Big Partners' coworking space, bizperc!) Derek C. Olsen proudly announces The Four Week Financial Turnaround, a personal finance workbook that provides end consumers with a step-by-step guide to become financially responsible in today’s economy. The book, which has the potential to become a bestseller on Amazon.com, will launch with a book release holiday party on Friday, December 14, 2012 from 5:30-8:30pm.

The Four Week Financial Turnaround is an interactive, hands-on workbook that allows readers to analyze their financial decisions from a variety of different angles. The book is broken down into a four-week plan that enables readers to identify their current financial statuses, deconstruct their financial situations, reconstruct their finances to a more improved status and explore new monthly budget strategies that lead to an improved financial future. The Four Week Financial Turnaround blends the readers' big picture financial goals with the day-to-day detailed steps in a revolutionary, easy-to-track way. The book encourages readers to identify the root cause of their spending behaviors instead of simply trying to address their financial problems on a surface level.

“In order to make any meaningful change in the way you spend your money, it is vital to understand the reasons why you spend your money the way you do,” says author of The Four Week Financial Turnaround, Derek C. Olsen. “To have good reasons and to understand them affects your overall financial situation. The book is action-oriented above all else. You can hardly turn a page without being encouraged to take some sort of action—whether it is simply writing down some goals and action steps or being directed to listen to the complimentary four-part audio series that comes with the book.”

“In The Four Week Financial Turnaround workbook, Derek Olsen shares clear systems and processes for being as intentional about success in your finances as you would expect in business,” said Dan Miller, creative thinker at http://www.48Days.net and author of 48 Days to the Work You Love. “With no plan in place, your finances—and your business—will likely fail. Don’t take that chance.”

In addition to providing a step-by-step financial guide, The Four Week Financial Turnaround also includes an interactive “toolbox” including worksheets, a free PDF copy of the book, a four-part audio series containing 35+ minutes of exclusive content, and the opportunity to sign up for a free four-part e-course.

Derek Olsen and his team are launching The Four Week Financial Turnaround with a book release holiday party on December 14, 2012 from 5:30-8:30pm at the Think Big Partners coworking space located at 1800 Baltimore in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will include a question-and-answer session with the author, a raffle giveaway that includes an iPad Mini, as well as holiday-inspired food, cocktails and photo booth. Everyone attending the party will be greeted with a special edition copy of The Four Week Financial Turnaround workbook to take home.

The Kansas City community is encouraged to both attend the holiday book release party as well as purchase The Four Week Financial Turnaround or download the Kindle version of the book for free on December 14, 2012 from 12:00pm to 1:00pm in order to explore, improve and secure a positive financial future as well as to boost the book’s bestselling status on Amazon.

To learn more about Derek C. Olsen and The Four Week Financial Turnaround, please visit http://www.fourweekfinancialturnaround.com. To register for the holiday book release, please RSVP at http://fwftparty.eventbrite.com/.  To download a free online version of The Four Week Financial Turnaround, please click here.

“The Four Week Financial Turnaround is an important read because finances affect every area of our lives,” explains Olsen. “It affects our overall quality of life in a big way. Taking control of and developing healthy financial habits affects your peace of mind. When the methods presented in this workbook are made commonplace, they can literally change lives.”

Follow Derek for more info! @DerekCOlsen

Happy Thanksgiving! What We're Thankful For (As Entrepreneurs)

Happy Thanksgiving from Think Big Partners! 

Sometimes, we move so fast that we don't take the time to sit down and realize everything that we have to appreciate in life.  Lucky for us, Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and is the perfect time for us to say "thanks" to those who have helped us grow, succeed and have fun throughout our very own startup journey.

As a way to say "thanks", we will be making daily shoutouts to some of our biggest supports on Facebook for 40 days straight starting on November 22, 2012.  Although it's not much, it's our way of sending appreciation from our crazy world to yours.

What are some of the things we're thankful for this year?  We're so glad you asked...

• We're thankful for our entrepreneurs.  The people who show up to bizperc, call us for advice, meet with us for coffee and partner with us on projects.  If it weren't for these passionate, driven and sometimes crazy people, we would not be in business.
  
• We're thankful for bizperc, our coworking space.  With its incredible view of downtown Kansas City, killer coworking amenities and super fun (and frequent) parties, we are truly spoiled with an amazing workspace. But most importantly, we're thankful for the different people we meet in bizperc every day.
  
• We're thankful for coffee.  If it weren't for coffee, we would not have productive days, checked-off to-do lists and 2:00am conversations that often make or break our next idea.
  
• We're thankful for partners who have always believed in us and supported us throughout our startup journey.  If it weren't for our incredible support system, we would not be where we are today.
  
• We're thankful for our gadgets.  From our iPhones to our laptops, from our Windows Surface tablets to our electronic whiteboard, these gadgets make our chaotic days a bit more organized.
  
• We're thankful for humor--it's what gets us through our not-so 9-5 days.  From office pranks, team bets, wearing prom dresses to work, and caricatures drawings on our windows, we're thankful that we can build something incredible and have fun while doing it.
  
• We're thankful for our team.  Although we've been referred to as "an Island of Misfit Toys" or a "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" company, we are the glue that holds Think Big together--and even though we may be a bit nuts, we believe that we are doing big things that wouldn't be possible without every single team member's involvement.

A BIG thank you to you all.  And happy Thanksgiving.

- The team at Think Big Partners 

(Ahhh..that's more like it.)

Global Entrepreneurship Week Goes Full Steam Ahead in Kansas City

Attention all Kansas City startups, entrepreneurs, and developers! It’s time to celebrate something totally awesome—YOU! On November 8^th, 2012 Global Entrepreneurship Week kicked off here in Kansas City.  The worldwide movement promises to be a week full of engaging events focused on celebrating the startup and entrepreneur culture and will culminate with Startup Weekend Kansas City on November 18, 2012.

In just five short years, Global Entrepreneurship Week has grown to include roughly 35,000 activities that will take place in over 129 countries, all in the course of one week. GEW is officially the world’s largest celebration of startups and entrepreneurs. Through its existence, Global Entrepreneurship Week has inspired nearly 20 million people, through 125,000 activities and it’s ever growing network of 24,000 partner organizations. The weeklong celebration is powered by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

With a total of 35 events taking place throughout Kansas City during GEW, there will be something for everyone. Think Big Partners is even getting in on the fun by hosting two fantastic events that are completely free with registration.  TBP’s first event is the ever-popular Startup Waffles. The second will be Microsoft Windows 8 Kansas City Bootcamp, which will provide attendees the opportunity to experience and learn how to build on Microsoft’s new flagship operating system, from Microsoft startup evangelist Taylor Cowan.  Attendees of the Windows 8 Bootcamp are eligible for a drawing where the lucky winner will get a brand new Microsoft Surface With Windows RT. Both events will take place on Friday, November 16.  

The week will culminate with the arrival of Startup Weekend KC, a global grassroots movement aimed towards educating and empowering entrepreneurs from all walks of life. The two-day event in itself will start on November, 16^th at 5:00pm and will conclude on November 18^th.  Attendees wanting to participate need to pay the $60.00 registration prior to the event.

So put on your startup pants, shirt and shoes, and don’t miss out on all the fun of celebrating the amazing culture that is entrepreneurship. A full list of events along with registration and location info is available here. If you find an event that you can’t wait for, be sure to register in advance as space can be limited!! 

Think Big Partners Hosts Two Startup Events During Kansas City’s Global Entrepreneurship Week

KANSAS CITY, MO—November 7, 2012—Kansas City-based startup accelerator and business incubator Think Big Partners has teamed up with Microsoft Windows 8, Startup Weekend and Global Entrepreneurship Week to host two entrepreneurial events on November 16, 2012 in Kansas City, Missouri. Think Big Partners’ two events taking place during Global Entrepreneurship Week feature networking opportunities for startup entrepreneurs as well as a chance to learn how to use Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 8.

Think Big Partners first Global Entrepreneurship Week event is Startup Waffles, a popular breakfast networking event open to all attendees of Global Entrepreneurship Week and Startup Weekend. The event is free (requires registration) and will be hosted by Think Big Partners at the bizperc coworking space (1800 Baltimore Avenue, 6^th floor, Kansas City, MO 64108). Startup Waffles starts at 7:30am on Friday, November 16 and lasts until 9:30am.

“In the past, Startup Waffles has always had a great turn out,” says Sarah Snyder, Think Big Partners meeting planner and event manager.  “It’s an event that Kansas City entrepreneurs look forward to because it’s an outstanding networking opportunity.  We look forward to bringing together KC’s most well-connected entrepreneurs during Global Entrepreneurship Week.” 

Following Startup Waffles, Think Big Partners will host Microsoft Windows 8 Kansas City Bootcamp on the 6^th floor of the bizperc loft space.  Led by Microsoft startup evangelist Taylor Cowan, the technology-focused bootcamp will concentrate on educating attendees on how to effectively utilize and build on the new, highly-regarded Windows 8 platform.  The free event is open to Global Entrepreneurship Week attendees as well as the Kansas City startup and entrepreneurship communities. Though it is free to attend, space is extremely limited and registration is required. Midwest-based developers, entrepreneurs and startups interested in learning more about the highly-regarded Windows 8 platform are encouraged to attend.

Starting at 10:00am on Friday, November 16, startup evangelist Taylor Cowan will give a presentation that will highlight how to navigate Windows 8, the user-experience patterns, the inherent async design and integration features.  In addition to great learning opportunities during the Microsoft event, attendees will also receive access to Microsoft BizSpark accounts for free as well as access to Microsoft software.  Attendees will also have hands-on access to demonstrate and intact with four touch devices loaded with Windows 8, including two of the brand new Microsoft Surface tablets and two Microsoft slates.

In addition to the bootcamp portion of the event, attendees will have the chance to speak with Taylor Cowan about both Windows 8 and Azure during private office hours from 2:00pm-4:00pm on Friday, November 16. 

Potentially interested attendees are encouraged to sign up for both events as space is limited and is expected to fill up quickly.  To learn more about Startup Waffles, Microsoft Windows 8 Kansas City Bootcamp and other Global Entrepreneurship Week events, please visit KCSourceLink’s GEW Calendar of Events. 

Think Big & Microsoft Reveal Windows 8 & Azure Cloud to KC Developers

This week, Think Big Partners and Microsoft hosted a 3-day event to introduce Kansas City developers, founders and entrepreneurs to the world of Windows 8 and Azure Cloud.  The event, known as Azure Cloud & Windows 8 App Kickstarts, gave Midwest entrepreneurs a first-look some of Microsoft's newest products and services.  According to attendees, the takeaways from the event were extremely beneficial...especially for those who want to learn how to develop on the new Windows 8 platform (there were even Apple fans raving about the new Windows 8!).

Check out some of the pictures from our Microsoft event!

The event kicked off with a Monday night Happy Hour. 

On day 2, developers were welcomed into the world of Windows 8.

Midwestern developers & entrepreneurs learning the ins-and-outs of Windows 8.

Attendees were asked to bring laptops for an interactive experience.  

Microsoft <3s Startups (and vice versa).

Azure Cloud & Windows 8 App Kickstarts will conclude today with private office hours with Taylor Cowan, Microsoft's director of startups.  Attendees are invited to schedule a complimentary one-on-one question-and-answer session with Taylor to learn more about how Windows 8, Azure and BizSpark can maximize their businesses.  

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

028 Think Big Radio: A Think Big Partners Update

LISTEN NOW:
028 Think Big Radio: A Think Big Partners Update

What can we say?  Think Big gets $*!@ done fast!  In the past few months, we have had a lot going on and we want to fill you in.  In this episode of Think Big Radio, podcast producer Derek Olsen sits down with partner at Think Big, Blake Miller and the two discuss an update from everyone’s favorite Kansas City incubator and accelerator.

So what’s new with Think Big?  Tune into this episode of Think Big Radio and get the skinny on:

• Think Big Ventures I and our two recent investments
• The first Think Big Accelerator class
• Success in the first two weeks of the Accelerator program from companies like Fully and Phone2Action
• Upcoming event: Microsoft’s Azure Cloud & Windows 8 App Kickstarts (a free event for developers)
• bizperc coworking space buzz 

Follow Blake! @blakemiller32

PlanetReuse Marketplace powered by InvenQuery Wins SXSW Eco Startup Showcase

Client of Kansas City-based startup accelerator and business incubator Think Big Partners, PlanetReuse Marketplace powered by InvenQuery, a technology  company that is making awareness of and access to reclaimed building materials nationwide simple, won the SXSW Eco Startup Showcase on October 4, 2012 in Austin, Texas.

In its second year, the SXSW Eco Conference is designed for professionals in business, government, non-profits and academia who want to look at environmental and sustainability issues through a fresh lens, develop new collaborations and contribute to innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges facing the environment, the economy and civil society.  The SXSW Eco Conference consisted of exhibitions, speakers, the SXSW Eco Hackathon, special events, parties and the SXSW Eco Startup Showcase, the portion that PlanetReuse Marketplace won.  SXSW Eco took place just a week after The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce held its annual Leadership Exchange in Austin, Texas, providing an even greater collaboration with the booming tech hub.

The SXSW Eco Startup Showcase was a one-day venture capital pitch that spotlighted innovation and entrepreneurship in the clean tech space.  With over 100 applicants from around the world, only 14 had the opportunity to present a three-minute pitch to an expert panel of judges during the Startup Showcase in Austin.  The finals consisted of just three clean-tech startups, PlanetReuse Marketplace, NuMat Technologies and Zeta Communities, each presenting an eight-minute pitch to the same expert panel of judges.  The three startups were critiqued on product/service, industry/market validation, sustainability/social responsibility impact, business model, team and presentation.  At the final awards presentation, PlanetReuse Marketplace was named the first-ever winner of the SXSW Eco Startup Showcase.

“Winning the Startup Showcase increases our credibility,” said Nathan Benjamin, founder and partner of PlanetReuse. “It gives us recognition among our peers in the sustainability community and acts as a reputation-builder as we continue to spread the word about reuse, increase awareness and raise capital.”

The PlanetReuse team accepting their win at SXSW Eco.

Judges for the SXSW Eco Startup Showcase consisted of partners from a variety of venture capital firms including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Intel Corporation, Black Coral Capital, Austin Ventures, and Nth Power, providing probing questions to all semi-finalists about their business strategies and exposure to potential funding opportunities.

“Nathan and Willow have a great story,” said Mitchell Jacobson, director of the ATI Clean Energy Incubator and mentor/pitch coach to the PlanetReuse team. “They were up against some pretty complex companies.  But PlanetReuse’s SaaS model is simple.  They did a great job of explaining the size of the market.  Plus, no one else is doing this!”

“This award—from a panel of judges sophisticated about both clean tech and business investment— further validates our concept and market traction,” said Willow Lundgren, chief strategy officer for PlanetReuse Marketplace.  “We’ve enjoyed great momentum this year.”

In addition to its big win at SXSW Eco, PlanetReuse Marketplace began beta testing its technology in two reuse centers in Kansas City, MO this summer and continues to connect with reuse centers around the country.  The company is actively raising Series A funding, and has earned national recognition: a grant from the Chase/LivingSocial Mission: Small Business Program, a featured Social Enterprise in Bloomberg Businessweek, and success at Sustainable Brands 2012 innovation competition.

“This new [SXSW Eco] competition gives a first place prize of exposure and pride,” explains Jacobson.  “PlanetReuse Marketplace has been recognized as the best company out of 100 other applicants and that means a lot.  They can lean on this for further funding in the VC and clean-tech space.  There’s a lot of work to be done, but PlanetReuse Marketplace can certainly use this win to its benefit.”

Follow PlanetReuse! @PlanetReuse

Join Us for the October bizperc Showcase!

Here at bizperc, we believe that entrepreneurs should be excited about coming to work.  Just look at us—we look forward to coming into our coworking space every day!  Why you ask? Simply put we get to interact with a wide array of forward-thinking entrepreneurs on a daily basis (and it doesn’t hurt that we have one of the best views of Kansas City, awesome WiFi, and free coffee provided by the Roasterie!). We fancy ourselves pretty lucky and we want you to experience it too! 

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 9th from 4:00 to 5:30pm and come on down to 1800 Baltimore in downtown Kansas City, MO and join us on the 4th floor. Come see why we call this modern and innovative workplace home.

The bizperc Showcase will start off with an expertly guided journey of our coworking space and startup accelerator. Experience the atmosphere our entrepreneurs thrive in. From the coffee bar to the rooftop garden, you’ll get an inside-look at our coworking space, bizperc, and learn what Think Big Partners is up to. We want to show you how Think Big Partners is innovating in the startup world. 

But this showcase isn’t just about us—we want you to tell us about your own entrepreneurial ventures too! 

Showcase Agenda:

4:00 Meet Think Big Partners: the company that’s building companies.

4:15 Tour the bizperc coworking space to see where we do what we do.

5:00 Tell us about your own entrepreneurial venture on bizperc’s 6th floor while gazing at the spectacular view of downtown KC.

Come experience the benefits of coworking and see how we’re changing the way entrepreneurs interact daily.

Register here for the bizperc Showcase powered by Think Big Partners on Tuesday, October 9th from 4:00 to 5:30pm.

If you aren’t able to attend this month...don’t worry!  We’ll be showing off our coworking space each month. Stay tuned for upcoming Showcase information!

Questions? Call 816-842-5244 or email Sarah Snyder (ssnyder@thinkbigpartners.com).

Don’t forget to follow bizperc on Twitter! @bizperc

Think Big Accelerator in Full Swing in Kansas City

We hit the ground running yesterday with our first Think Big Accelerator class.  The entrepreneurs from New York City, Los Angeles and Kansas City all came together to finally meet one another (as well as Think Big Partners) face-to-face.  The energy was high.  The coffee was plentiful (as was the paperwork).  And the first day of the accelerator seemed to pass by in a blink of an eye.

We are extremely excited to welcome our first accelerator class to the bizperc coworking space, a new office that these startups may start calling "home".  A warm welcome to Keyzio, Kahootz, inCharge, Phone2Action, H2OCloud and WeeJay--the six members of the original Think Big Accelerator class!

These six startups have quite an autumn (and winter) ahead of them.  Think Big Accelerator's 22-week program will truly test these entrepreneurs' strengths and weaknesses and put their big ideas to the test.  With ongoing mentorship, collaboration, startup services, field trips and in-depth discussions and solutions on a weekly basis, we're pretty confident that these six startups will come out stronger, better and more profitable in just 22 weeks.

Accelerator members were invited on a tour of the bizperc coworking space. 

Johnathan Block of H2OCloud (left) and Connor Sweeney of WeeJay (right).

Jeb Ory of Phone2Action. 

Let's just say Day 1 was already quite productive...

Sarah Snyder (left) and Emily Leeper (right) help with accelerator logistics.

Parker Hills of Keyzio (left) goes in-depth with Blake Miller of Think Big Partners (right).

Follow these startups along the accelerator journey.  Stay tuned on our blog for more news and updates about each of these companies and how they're progressing in the Think Big Accelerator! It's going to be a wild ride.

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig