KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Interested in becoming an entrepreneur and turning your business ideas into reality? Then Kansas City Startup Weekend might be just what you are looking for.
Kansas City Kansas Community College is joining Sprint, Google fiber and Think Big Coworking as platinum sponsors of Kansas City Startup Weekend, which is Nov. 15-17 at the KCKCC-Technical Education Center. Registration fees are $80 or $50 for students.
All meals and drinks throughout the weekend are covered with the fee. KCKCC Workforce Development will also sponsor three KCKCC students who are interested in participating. Contact Jay Matlack, Workforce Development Coordinator, at jmatlack@kckcc.edu or 913-288-7210 to apply.
“It is exciting that KCKCC is often finding itself in the middle of the entrepreneurial environment in Kansas City. We are proud of our students and community members who innovate and create businesses, supplying jobs and economy generation to KC,” Matlack said. “We look forward to hosting the Start Up Weekend and seeing the great results from the weekend.”
The goal of Kansas City Startup Weekend is to help entrepreneurs meet and network with people who can help turn that small idea into reality.
During the three-day event, individuals can pitch their startup idea and receive feedback from peers. After a vote by the participants, teams will form around the top ideas to create business models, coding, designing and marketing plans. At the end of the weekend, final presentations will be made in front of local business leaders for another opportunity for useful feedback as well as to earn prizes.
Judges this year include Lesa Mitchell, vice-president of Innovation and Networks at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Toby Rush, founder and CEO of two mobile ventures. Dan Schmidt, CFO of The Emerging Business; Erica Birkman, designer and developer for Rarewire; Joshua Eithun, art director for VML; Jason Wright, senior graphic designer for Midwestern Seminary; Joe Barger, UX designer for Level Five Solutions; Chris Thomas, freelance designer and Chris Shaw, director of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, will serve as mentors.
Although this is a “team-based” event, participants do not have to come with an already formed team. One can be created at Kansas City Startup Weekend.
Various prizes will be awarded during the event. While these have not yet been announced, past prizes have included office space to help building the business, legal services and marketing/public relations packages.
For more information or to register for the event, visit Kansas City Startup Weekend’s website at kansascity.startupweekend.org.
