There are a plethora of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter, or curious community member — we recommend these upcoming events for you.
Are you hosting a relevant community event? Add it to the KCSourceLink Calendar for increased exposure. Email info@kcsourcelink.com for assistance.
Getting Funded Outside Silicon Valley
When: Nov. 8, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Where: Plexpod Westport Commons
Come by Plexpod Westport Commons, arrive early to purchase some lunch from The Sundry if you like, and hang out for an awesome panel on fundraising hosted by Firebrand Ventures.
**Please arrive at the annex (just west of the main building and right next to the parking lot)**
Panelists will include Techstars Managing Director Lesa Mitchell, blooom CEO Chris Costello, and Cooley Partner Keith Berets. Each panelist has a wealth of experience either raising money themselves, investing, or helping others in the fundraising process outside of Silicon Valley.
With the Midwest attracting a small percentage of of U.S. venture capital, we’ll talk about how to maximize your chance of raising, what things to avoid doing, and we’ll reserve time for some questions.
After the panel ends at 2pm, Keith Berets and John Fein will hold office hours for anyone who wants to meet.
Think Big 2nd Annual Chili Cook-off for Charity!
When: Nov. 9, 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Where: Think Big Coworking
Join Think Big & the KC startup community for our 2nd Annual Chili Cook-off for Charity on Thursday, November 9th! Get ready to serve up your best recipe, sample all the chili your heart desires, and vote on your favorites. In true Think Big style, all proceeds will be donated to the winning chef’s charity of choice. Community and Members are welcome! $5 donation, or sign up to bring your best chili recipe!
Have a have a delicious chili recipe you’ve been waiting to “wow” your co-workers with, now’s your chance! All types of chili are welcome, from white chicken chili to vegetarian to Texas red.
Ongoing events
Don’t miss out on the events that happen every week at the same time, in the same place.
Code for KC Hack Night
Mondays from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Sprint Accelerator
Hammerspace Open House
Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Hammerspace
1 Million Cups
Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at Kauffman Foundation, Lawrence and KC Live Stream
Coworking Wednesdays
Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at Sprint Accelerator
Looking ahead
GEW Kickoff Breakfast
When: Nov. 13, 7:30 a.m
Where: Plexpod Westport Commons
KC entrepreneurs have to solve big problems if we’re going to be America’s most entrepreneurial city. And KC’s corporations have the knowledge and expertise of what’s next in several key industries. Come explore the future!
CommunityAmerica Credit Union presents Innovate or Perish: Fostering Innovation in Established Companies
When: Nov. 13, 10:00 a.m.
Where: Plexpod Westport Commons
Join us as business leader and Chief Innovation Officer Anita Newton discusses how existing businesses can raise the success of corporate innovation and entrepreneurship by applying the disciplines of Lean Startup, Customer Development and Business Model Generation. Newton will discuss how these key principals can improve business outcomes and energize employees. Newton will also discuss how to overcome internal challenges and provide specific actionable ideas to utilize at any size firm.
As a bonus – Newton will be giving a special Kansas City Chiefs Giveaway to the first 75 participants!
Multicultural Business happy hour
When: Nov. 13, 5:30 p.m.
Where: WeWork Corrigan Station
Come kick off the 10th annual Global Entrepreneurship Week with MBC! Join us for the 5th semi-annual Multicultural Business Happy Hour on Monday, November 13th from 5:30-8:30 pm at WeWork Kansas City. Come network with business owners and professionals and meet the entrepreneurial resources partners that make Kansas City the most entrepreneurial city in the country.
In honor of our 5th Happy Hour, we’ll also be honoring three outstanding businesses that have positively contributed to the entrepreneurial community.
Venture Lounge
When: Nov. 13, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 pm.
Where: Plexpod Westport Commons
Join angel investors, entrepreneurs and some of Kansas City’s most successful business elite at the GEW edition of Venture Lounge.
Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It … and Why the Rest Don’t with Verne Harnish
When: Nov. 14, 8:30 a.m.
Where: Plexpod Westport Commons
Many startup…but few scaleup. Yet it’s the scaleups that drive innovation and jobs. So what are the barriers to scaling? What are the four key decisions driving growth? What are the real key performance indicators leaders track who scale most successfully? And what is the universal #1 focus of all companies and their senior teams? Verne Harnish, author of Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0), will share his insights into these questions and more.
Made in the Midwest: Inside the Minds of Midwest, Early Stage Venture Capital Investors
When: Nov. 14, 4 p.m.
Where: Plexpod Westport Commons
Join us for a short time of networking. Then stay to hear from Midwest founded venture capital firms as they offer their perspectives and insights into all realms of Venture Capital to increase the impact of each and every interaction between venture investors and entrepreneurs. Topics to include:
- Differing approaches given investment stage
- Venture capital business economics
- Characteristics of a high quality interaction
- Perspective from the investor side of the table.
The moderator will be Ryan Weber, CEO of KC Tech Council. Panelists include:
- Mike Asem, Director, M25 Group
- Mark Hasebroock, Founder, Dundee Venture Capital
- Larry Page, Senior Associate, Lewis & Clark Ventures
- Thad Langford, Founding Partner, Flyover Capital
Co-sponsored by Flyover Capital and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
Conquer for Good: Connect- November
When: Nov. 14, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Will & Grail
With a degree in architectural engineering, Daniel Edwards knows how to build things. But the challenge of building back decayed urban neighborhoods took his education to a new level. For years the past five years, Daniel and his wife Ebony have worked to understand the dynamic of urban development. The result is the Urban Building Project, a catalytic neighborhood development that will provide optimized spaces built around how people live. It’s part of a broader vision to rebuild thriving life in overlooked communities – including integration with jazz, arts and more.
Come learn about Daniel’s vision to move Kansas City forward.
Inventors Center of Kansas City presents Pitch Tank – Product Invention Show & Tell
When: Nov. 14, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Union Station
Discover local inventors, their product inventions and how new product ideas find market success during this KC product-pitch night with local inventors pitching to a panel of industry experts. Provide feedback and let our experts and knowledgeable guests answers your questions. Cool new products, informative convo, and some meet & greet cocktails at Pierpont’s following. Join the fun! Doors open at 6 pm.
Tech CEO Speaker Series with John Ricciardelli
When: KU Edwards Campus
Where: Nov. 15, 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be responsible for a $900M annual operations budget and about 3,500 employees of a globally recognized brand?
This November, we are bringing the president of Honeywell, John Ricciardelli, to KU Edwards Campus for the Tech CEO Speaker Series to share his experience leading one of Kansas City’s largest tech companies.
One of Kansas City’s favorite sports broadcasters, Joel Goldberg, will be interviewing Ricciardelli on stage, and taking your questions. Please leave your Gatorade buckets at home.
Joel has been in the sports broadcasting business for more than 20 years, ten of which he has spent in Kansas City becoming an integral part of the Royals’ broadcast team and the Kansas City community.
Modern Mindfulness for busy people
When: Nov. 15, 2 p.m.
Where: Plexpod Westport Commons
This session is for curious, time-crunched, busy people (and skeptics) who want to learn more about what all this “mindfulness” stuff is about. Takeaways & discussions include micro-mindfulness practices for the digital world, current scientific research, top meditation apps and a short live group meditation… the bottom line. Prepare to hack your brain and change your life.
AltCap Your Biz Competition: Winner Announcement and Happy Hour
When: Nov. 15, 4 p.m.
Where: Plexpod Westport Commons
Join us for the AltCap Your Biz Competition’s winner announcement and happy hour.
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s ESHIP Playbook: Hack Your Ecosystem
When: Nov. 15, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Plexpod Westport Commons
Entrepreneurial ecosystems thrive when people, resources and ideas are connected. Join us for cocktails, food and fun as we “hack” the Kauffman Foundation ESHIP Playbook, a guide for serving entrepreneurial communities. Share your thoughts with ecosystem builders from around the world as we capture feedback on what it takes to build healthy entrepreneurial ecosystems. #GlobalHack
Importance of Mindset for Youth Entrepreneurship
When: Nov. 16, 8 a.m.
Where: Rockhurst High School
Join us for a facilitated panel discussion with successful youth entrepreneurs and learn how mindset influenced their success. Co-sponsored by Rockhurst High School at 9301 State Line Rd.
1 Million Cups—Kansas City: Where Are They Now?
When: Nov. 16, Noon
Where: Plexpod Westport Commons
100s of entrepreneurs have presented on the 1 Million Cups—Kansas City stage. Today we catch up with three of them to see where their businesses have gone since #1MCKC. You’ll learn what it really takes to grow a business and the answer the question on everyone’s mind—is being an entrepreneur really all it’s cracked up to be?
Enjoy an alumni panel featuring past #1MCKC presenters:
- Erika Klotz, PopBookings
- Ben Kittrell, Doodlekit
- Davyeon Ross, ShotTracker
- Babir Sultan, Royal Loyal
GEW 10th Anniversary Reunion
When: Nov. 16, 5 p.m.
When: Plexpod Westport Commons
Celebrate the growth of the entrepreneurial infrastructure in KC and the people who made it possible. The fun and festive event will feature local foodpreneurs and KC spirits for sampling. We have a lot to shout about since GEW started, with roots right here in KC.
Establish Your Culture Before It Destroys Your Company
When: Nov. 16, 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Where: Crema
As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week and in support of our local KC community, we’re hosting a conversation around understanding the impact of culture, connecting founders and small business owners with others committed to culture, and creating an opportunity for action and implementation of company values and mission.
If you, as a leader or founder, are even considering replacing any role you currently own, this conversation will benefit you. We’ll talk about how to define, embed and reinforce an intentional culture; we’ll share landmines and blind spots to watch out for. Leave with a template on how to define, embed and reinforce your own culture.
The Lean Lab’s Launch[ED] Day: Futureland
When: Nov. 16, 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where: The Guild Kansas City
Discover the future of Kansas City education at this exclusive pitch event!
Listen to the latest innovations in education entrepreneurship impacting our city.
Learn our city’s leaders vision for the future.
The evening of November 16, The Lean Lab will be celebrating the culmination of the 4th cohort of our Incubator Fellowship Program. Join us for a toast under the chandelier, as we give away $50,000.00 to accelerate education innovation in celebration.
Limited space is available for this incendiary event.
VIP Speakers:
Dr. Mark T. Bedell is one of the top young educational leaders in the United States. His personal, educational and career experiences make him uniquely suited to serve as Superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools in Kansas City, MO. He is a talented, caring teacher and administrator who is doing the hard, systematic work necessary to ensure that every child and every family has an equitable opportunity of making their dreams a reality.
Aaron North is the vice president of Education at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where he serves as a member of the Foundation’s senior leadership team and leads a team of program officers who are funding or researching programs designed to ensure more Kansas City students have access to high-quality education options and opportunities preparing them for life and education after high school.
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Our Ventures:
Diversity Talks – Student-led professional development grounded in the cultural competencies of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Explorable Places – A platform that makes it easy for teachers to find and book field trips.
Healthy Hip Hop – Learning through music, movement and a message.
Transportant – Connectivity and communication to improve bussing ecosystems.
ViTAL – ViTAL’s software creates multimodal, accessible learning content, increasing inclusion of special education students in general classrooms
NOVELDAY 2017
When: Nov. 17, Noon
When: Plexpod Westport Commons
NOVELDAY is a fast-paced event that showcases multi-cultural entrepreneurs, the latest innovations and novel executives, mentors and thought leaders from media, research, education, law, finance and tech industries. NOVELDAY 2017 will expose participants to SMART GROWTH solutions related to:
- Diversity and inclusion in innovation,
- Growing a quality consultative mentorship network,
- Strategies for revenue growth and gaining access to capital.
Sessions include: Novel Talks from influential thought leaders; a corporate, startup and social impact innovation showcase; Novel Blocks speed consulting; and NOVELCEO & our Real News, Fake News or Novel News panels that feature senior executives and top media talent.
Prison or ESHIP, hosted by Kyle J. Smith
When: Nov. 17, Noon
Where: Plexpod Westport Commons
Can starting a business stop people from going back to prison? Let’s find out. Jeremy Bouman of Defy Ventures Nebraska joins us for this discussion.
Jeremy Bouman, executive director, Defy Ventures Nebraska.Defy Ventures transforms the lives of business leaders and people with criminal histories through their collaboration along the entrepreneurial journey. Prior to joining the Defy team, Jeremy worked in the nonprofit sector and telecom industry.
Moderator Kyle J Smith, communications coordinator at KCSourceLink, community organizer at 1 Million Cups Kansas City and participant in the EScholars program at UMKC’s Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
