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

KCADC Embraces Kansas City Speed: FastKC Annual Meeting

Kansas City isn't just growing--it's growing fast. 

How fast?  For one, Kansas City's Internet speed is soon to be the fastest in the world.  With the implementation of the Google Fiber network on KCK and KCMO's fertile soil, businesses will begin to run at the speed of light.  Because of the Google Fiber initiative that has taken a hold of Kansas City, our city has been forever changed.  Many Kansas City organizations, such as the KCADC, have embraced the lightning-speed network, and in turn, KC has been recognized by a number of big media names; from the Wall Street Journal to Forbes.

But the KCADC is asking one important question: is Kansas City learning as fast as the world is changing?  And that question will be answered at an upcoming KCADC event.  It's appropriately named FastKC: The KCADC Annual Meeting 2011.

At the event, the KCADC is inviting movers-and-shakers from the Kansas City area to listen to how light-speed advancements in global commerce will affect business.  The event will look at radical ideas and offer practical advice that will help anyone get a jump on the competition.

So who's all making it out for the KCADC Annual Meeting?  Join keynote speaker Bill Taylor (co-founder of Fast Company and author of Practically Rad) along with the Honorable Sly James, the Honorable Joe Reardon and major Kansas City businesses (such as Sprint, Garmin, Hallmark, the Kauffman Foundation, Lockton and others) to see what the fast buzz is all about.  FastKC will take place on Friday, November 4th at the Kansas City Convention Center's Grand Ballroom.

Act fast (just like our future internet)!  Sponsorship availability will end on Wednesday.  If you or your company wants to get involved, be sure to check out the Sponsorship page.

Interested in attending? Entrepreneurs, investors, technology enthusiasts, business owners and the like can register at the KCADC site for an individual seat and the chance to get in front of Kansas City's most prominent and influential people.

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig

The Hilton President Partners Up with The Gigabit Challenge

Yesterday, we announced that the Kansas City Public Library has partnered up with the Gigabit Challenge and would be the host of the Finale event in mid-January of 2012.  But we have more announcements coming your way—the Hilton President, one of Kansas City’s iconic downtown landmarks, has also partnered with The Gigabit Challenge in order to provide contestants with a comfortable and beautiful place to stay while in Kansas City.

The President Hotel is offering a discounted rate to those judges, attendees and participants looking to stay in the downtown Kansas City area during The Gigabit Challenge Finale.  The President Hotel will also host the Gigabit Challenge kick-off event that occurs the night before the finale.  Not only is the President located in the heart of the thriving downtown Kansas City area, but it is an establishment that has been an entrepreneurial donor the past two years by sponsoring the Think Big Kansas City conference. 

These ongoing partnerships are helping Kansas City become the city of entrepreneurship.  A huge thanks to The Gigabit Challenge sponsors: The Kauffman Foundation, Entrepreneurs Unpluggd, the President Hotel, the Kansas City Public Library and Think Big Ventures.  If you’re interested in partnering for The Gigabit Challenge, please contact Allison Way (away@thinkbigpartners.com) or Ann DeAngelo (adeangelo@thinkbigpartners.com) or call 816.842.5244. 

Written by Allison Way

@AllisonThinkBig