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1102 GRAND Signs-On As Supporter Sponsor of Big KC: Looks Forward To Meeting With Emerging Tech Companies in Kansas City

Thursday, March 21st, 2013

1102 GRAND is proud to announce it has signed-on as Supporter for the first inauguralBig Kansas City conference March 26-28. The two-and-a-half day conference, organized by Silicon Prairie News, will host a variety of speakers including Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit; Bo Fishback, founder and CEO of Zaarly; and Scott Harrison, founder and CEO of charity: water.

Big KC 1102 GRAND Signs On As Supporter Sponsor of Big KC: Looks Forward To Meeting With Emerging Tech Companies in Kansas City

2013 Big Kansas City Speaker, Scott Harrison
(Photo Credit: Silicon Prairie News)

According to Big Kansas City organizers, four hundred of the nation’s most heartfelt hustlers, builders, entrepreneurs, change agents and doers will come together to hear stories of innovation from more than a dozen leading speakers, create lasting connections within the regional and national community and walk away with an energy to follow their passions. Big Kansas City is joining the prestigious “Big Series” which has included Big Omaha since 2009 and Big Des Moines since 2012.

Below is a comprehensive schedule of the conference and speakers released by Silicon Prairie News, producers of the Big Series. For more information about the conference, visit BigKansasCity.co

Tuesday, March 26

8:00 p.m. Big Kansas City Opening Party with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

at MoBank Downtown (1044 Main St.) – Open to the public

Wednesday, March 27

8:00 a.m Doors open / Breakfast at Hangar 9 (201 NW Lou Holland Dr.)

9:00 Jeff Slobotski andRegan Carrizales, Silicon Prairie News

9:05 Jason Zone Fisher (Big Kansas City emcee)

9:15 Dan Hesse, Sprint

9:30 Alexis Ohanian, reddit

10:10 Adam Wilson, Sphero

10:45 Break presented by Hudl

11:15 Jamie Wong, Vayable

11:55 Scott Harrison, charity: water

12:30 Lunch with special edition 1 Million Cups

2:00 Abhi Nemani, Code for America

2:45 Dhani Jones, BowTie Cause

3:20 Break presented by Hudl

3:50 Ryan Downs, Proxibid

4:30 Extended Speaker Q&A Panel

5:15 Jeff Slobotski and Regan Carrizales, Silicon Prairie News

9:00 p.m. The Middle Party presented by Sprint (closed to badge holders only)

at the Firestone Building, top floor (2001 Grand Blvd)

Thursday, March 28

8:30 a.m. Doors Open / Breakfast

9:30 Jeff Slobotski and Regan Carrizales, Silicon Prairie News

9:35 Jason Zone Fisher

9:40 Amy Jo Martin, Digital Royalty

10:20 Thom Ruhe, Kauffman Foundation

10:45 Mike Macadaan, Science Inc.

11:20 Break presented by Hudl

11:40 Rachel Brooks, Citizen Made

12:20 Micah Baldwin, Graphic.ly

12:55 Lunch and “Silicon Prairie” film

2:10 Bo Fishback, Zaarly

2:55 Bart Stein, Stamped/Yahoo!

3:35 Dan Martell, clarity.fm

4:15 Hangar 9 Happy Hour presented by Arsalon Technologies

8:00 p.m. Closing Party presented by Polsinelli Shughart

at The Cashew (2000 Grand Blvd) – Open to the Public

Tags: big kc, Kansas City, Kansas City tech
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Kansas City Events, Kansas City Tech News, Kansas City Technology Networking Events, Midwest data center, technology companies | No Comments »

Kansas City Data Center & Internet Hub Reviews Best Upcoming Technology & Networking Events

Friday, October 5th, 2012

By: Greg Elliott, Director of Business Development at 1102 GRAND

Exciting times to be involved with the tech community in the KC area! It seems like every other day I am asked what good tech networking/educational opportunities are coming up in the area so I thought I would highlight the events that I am looking forward to. I am sure I missed a few, so feel free to join and add events that you are excited about to 1102 GRAND Networking Group on LinkedIn or on our Facebook page.

1102 GRAND is excited to once again have the opportunity to be the Host Sponsor for the upcoming KCnext fall IT networking event! Save the date - Thursday November 15th , 5-8 at the College Basketball Experience. These IT networking events provide the unique opportunity to connect with
technology industry professionals, exchange innovative ideas and establish beneficial relationships and strategic partnerships to grow your business. The events also promote KC’s assets for the technology sectors and innovators within the industry. Make sure you register at www.kcnext.com to be notified when you can sign up.

Here are a few other opportunities to network that have recently been brought to my attention.

Tech ESP-Technology Entrepreneurs Speakers Program

The Technology Entrepreneurs Speakers Program features innovative technology business leaders discussing ideas and opportunities for future generations of entrepreneurs. The next in the series is scheduled Oct. 16 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at Polsinelli Shughart.

The featured speaker will be Asim Pasha, co-CEO of Sporting Innovations. Pasha recently led the technical design and implementation at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, which is considered by many to be the most technically advanced stadium in the world. He also launched Fan360, a software platform to drive fan experience to new levels. Register HERE!

Tech Cocktail- Wednesday October 17th, 5:30-8:30 at Boulevard Brewery

Tech Cocktail mixes Kansas City’s tech startups with hundreds of tech enthusiasts. The result is a blend of mind-sharing, connections, access to talent and capital. This inaugural event will showcase some of KC’s tech startups in an expo-style format giving attendees direct access to these companies. Click HERE for more information!

Compute Midwest- conference + hackathon- November 8-11!

Compute Midwest (CMW) is a conference + hackathon in Kansas City that delves into new ideas, emerging technologies, and especially their impact on the Midwest region looking forward.

You’ll hear from tech leaders, startup founders, and innovators as they share their vision of the future. Find out where technology is going and discover how Kansas City can capitalize on Google Fiber.

Kansas City VMUG User Conference with an interactive chat with Steve Wozniak- Tuesday, December 11th, 2012- to register and for additional information, click HERE!

I will look forward to learning from you what other tech events are coming up on our LinkedIn Group!

Tags: College Basketball Experience, educational opportunity, Kansas City data center, Kansas City IT, Kansas City technology, kc entrepreneurs, kc IT, KCnext, LIVESTRONG sporting park, networking events, tech community, technology, technology events
Posted in Kansas City Events | No Comments »

I Cannot Wait For This Monday: MLB All-Star Home Run Derby at Kauffman Stadium

Friday, July 6th, 2012

By: Greg Elliott, Director of Business Development at 1102 GRAND

Monday will be a good one. Exciting times in KC! I am planning on attending the All-Star Home Run Derby at Kauffman Stadium, but first I will be heading to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts to learn about the future of mobile payments. KCnext – The Technology Council of Kansas City has put together a world-class event that will be fascinating to anyone that has interest in the mobile payment space. The “Future of Mobile Payments” Panel includes Barb Pacheco- Senior Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Ben Milne- CEO & Founder of Dwolla, and Chris Teso – Founder and CEO of Chirpify. They will share their perspectives via a panel discussion and there will also be a Q&A segment.

To learn more and to register go to http://tickets.kauffmancenter.org/single/psDetail.aspx?psn=4794

I have one extra ticket for the “Future of Mobile Payments,” event that is available on a first come basis. All you have to do is send me an email at greg@1102grand.com, and I will let you know if it is still available.

I hope to see you there!

Tags: 1102 GRAND, All-Star Home Run Derby, Barb Pacheco, Ben Milne, Chirpify, Chris Teso, Dwolla, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Greg Elliot, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Kauffman Stadium, kc, KCnext, The Technology Council of Kansas City
Posted in Kansas City Events | No Comments »

1102 GRAND Congratulates UMKC On Their No. 1 Ranking For Innovation Research Management

Friday, December 16th, 2011

Posted by: Greg Elliott, Director of Business Development at 1102 GRAND

Congratulations from 1102 GRAND to UMKC on their No. 1 ranking for Innovation Research Management by the Journal of Product Innovation Management! At 1102 GRAND, we have seen serious evidence of entrepreneurial energy in the Kansas City Area that can definitely be attributed, in part, to the UMKC’s Bloch School of Management and the faculty. Keep up the excellent work! Here is the full story from the UMKC website.

UMKC RANKED No. 1 IN THE WORLD

Kansas City, MO., December 5, 2011 – The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) today announced that it has been ranked as the world’s No. 1 university in innovation management research by the Journal of Product Innovation Management.

A total of 625 universities were ranked – including MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Michigan State and Texas A&M – on research topics and current trends in the field of innovation management. The ranking will be published in the March 2012 issue of the journal.

: UMKC Chancellor Leo Morton stresses the importance of this achievement.

“We are extremely proud to hold the No. 1 spot in the world for innovation management research,” said UMKC Chancellor Leo E. Morton. “UMKC aligns with the Kansas City community’s commitment to becoming the most entrepreneurial city in the nation through our focus on entrepreneurship across all campus disciplines.”

The results were driven by the research of three UMKC faculty – Michael Song, Ph.D., Mark Parry, Ph.D., and Lisa Zhao, Ph.D. – in the Henry W. Bloch School of Management’s (Bloch School) Department for Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation and the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The three faculty also were listed among the top 50 innovation management scholars, with Michael Song ranking No. 1 in the world.

: The crowd celebrates after finding out the news.

(more…)

Tags: 1102 GRAND, Bloch School of Management, entrepreneurship, Innovation management, KC community, kc entrepreneurs, UMKC
Posted in Kansas City Events | No Comments »

Kansas City’s Think Big Partners Latest Initiative “The Gigabit Challenge Finale” Great Event to Turn Ideas into Viable Businesses

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

Posted by: Greg Elliott, Director of Business Development at 1102 GRAND

I wanted to take a moment to thank Think Big Partners for all they do to strengthen the Kansas City area business fabric on a daily basis. They host and sponsor numerous entrepreneurial events in the Kansas City region and around the nation. In addition, they provide a spot (BizPerc) and a system for people to grow their ideas into viable businesses through a number of different methods.

Their latest initiative, The Gigabit Challenge Finale, is going to include live pitches from the finalists vying for $100,000 in prize money as well as additional financing! See Allison Way’s recent blog post for further details and how to register. Thanks again and keep up the great work!

Experience Gigabit Speed: The Gigabit Challenge Finale Event

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

With over 113 submissions, we knew we had to make The Gigabit Challenge Finale big. After all, we’re dealing with lightning-fast Internet speed, some of the most lucrative startup business plans and a panel of standout judges and advisory board members. So we’re opening the Gigabit Challenge Finale to the public this January at the Kansas City Public Library (Plaza Branch).

At the event, attendees will have the chance to watch live pitches from The Gigabit Challenge finalists, network with other entrepreneurs, investors and startup enthusiasts and sit in on the Awards Presentation. This all-day event will not only bring in The Gigabit Challenge finalists, but also many of TGC’s advisory board members and judging panel.

Join the team at Think Big Partners for The Gigabit Challenge Finale on January 18, 2012 from 8:00AM until 5:00PM (time subject to change) at the Kansas City Public Library Plaza Branch (4801 Main Street). The Gigabit Challenge Finale is FREE.

A huge thanks to the Kansas City Public Library for sponsoring The Gigabit Challenge Finale!

Tags: 1102 GRAND, Kansas City entrepreneurs, kc datacenter, kc entrepreneurs, kc networking events, kc startup businesses, kc tech companies, KC Think Big Partners, The Gigabit Challenge Finale kc
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Kansas City Events, Kansas City Technology Networking Events, Networking | No Comments »

Kansas City’s Centriq IT Training Event Great Opportunity For Business Employers

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

By Greg Elliott, Director of Business Development at 1102 GRAND

How often do you hear: I wish there was more IT talent available? I hear it on a weekly basis when I am visiting with clients and contacts from all sizes of companies, both in the Kansas City region and across the country.

I was talking with our friends at Centriq IT Training, and they mentioned they are having an IT Career Fair next Wednesday, December 7th, 2011 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

This is a great opportunity to meet 50-75 IT candidates face-to-face…and it’s FREE for employers!

For more information and to register click here.

Good luck to both IT candidates and companies participating!

Tags: 1102 GRAND, business networking, Centriq in KC, Centriq IT Training, Greg Elliot, IT talent, IT Training in KC, Kansas City, Kansas City IT, Kansas City IT networking, kc, KC IT companies, networking groups Kansas City, networking Kansas city
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Kansas City Events, Kansas City Technology Networking Events, technology companies | No Comments »

KCnext – The Technology Council of Greater Kansas City’s Fall IT Networking Event a Success!

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

By Greg Elliott, Director of Business Development at 1102 GRAND

Last Thursday I had the privilege of participating in the KCnext Fall IT Networking Event at the College Basketball Experience. What a great experience it was! Where else could one be involved with conversations about mobile technology trends, good places to find venture capital, the challenges of starting your own business or where to find datacenter space? The list goes on and on.

header KCNext KCnext – The Technology Council of Greater Kansas City’s Fall IT Networking Event a Success!

There were connections being made all over the place, with sponsor provided prizes being given away via drawings. If all of this was too much to handle, people could slip away and participate in one of the many interactive games that the CBE has available.

Thank you to everyone (attendees and sponsors) who made the KCnext Fall IT Networking Event a fantastic experience!

pic1 224x300 KCnext – The Technology Council of Greater Kansas City’s Fall IT Networking Event a Success!

Valerie Jennings, CEO of Jennings Social Media Marketing, with Travis Holt, principal of Brush Creek Partners, at the KC Next technology event last Thursday.

Go to www.kcnext.com to learn more about upcoming events with updates to come soon.

I hope everyone has a safe and relaxing Thanksgiving!

Tags: 1102 GRAND, College Basketball Experience, data center, datacenter, KCnext, KCnext Fall IT Networking Event, networking event
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Kansas City Events, Kansas City Technology Networking Events | No Comments »

1102 GRAND Features Aaron Sloup, KC Hub

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

By Greg Elliott, Director of Business Development at 1102 GRAND

There are many people and groups all working to make the region around Kansas City a better place to work, live and enjoy life. I recently caught up with Aaron Sloup, co-founder of KC Hub, to get his take on what is happening in the Kansas City area and to share with us what KC Hub is all about.

Tell us a little about KC Hub’s background -

KC Hub started as a conversation between Ryan Weber and me about the fact that KC has a ton of resources like incubators, entrepreneur support (Kauffman, Pipeline, KCSourceLink, etc), major regional universities, bioscience research facilities and an active startup community, but our metro wasn’t really known as an innovation hub like North Carolina’s Research Triangle, Austin, TX or Silicon Valley. We came together in July 2010 to officially form as a non-profit to take on the task of transforming KC into an “ecosystem for innovation.” Our four founders are Ryan Weber, Matt Wilson, Matt Sawka and me. Since that time our region has made some incredible strides toward that end. KC is showing up on all kinds of national and worldwide rankings for entrepreneurial cities, Google Fiber selected us from well over 1000 cities to prove out its network, UMKC’s Bloch School is growing and accelerating their programs and making national lists as well, the KC Chamber’s Big 5 shows a lot of promise and that the folks in that organization are understanding and embracing a similar vision, not to mention KCNext…the list goes on and on. At KC Hub, we’re just excited to get the word out on cool things like this and try to support and grow the community any way we can.

What goal did you hope to achieve by founding KC Hub? What is the group’s mission or core focus?

The goal is really to make innovation the standard for KC. Whether it’s healthcare, transportation or IT, KC Hub wants Kansas City to be a place where the new breakthroughs take place. Our stated mission is “to transform the Kansas City region into an ecosystem for innovation.” Having said that, we don’t have illusions of grandeur thinking that we’re going to do this alone. We know that it’s going to take our entire community to accomplish that feat, and we’d like to just play a role in moving our region in the right direction.

How can the community get involved in the cause?

Find something you’re passionate about, whether it’s cancer research, tech startups or renewable energy, and then find groups you can join, events you attend, classes you can take, etc. Honestly, if you really want to make an impact, go start a company. There are a ton of resources in KC, from Pipeline to KCSourceLink to bizperc to Kauffman Labs, all of which support startups. With KC Hub, we built a website that allows anyone to create an account and post innovation news and events from across the region and around the world. We just wanted to create a central place for people to share cool and innovative things that are happening now. We’ve had a lot of people contact us just to find out how they can help. Innovative Networks is a good example; they actually did all the custom Drupal development and hosting for our site. They’re also a KC-based tech company and wanted to contribute to the cause.

What would an ideal Business Ecosystem look like to you?

Ooo, ideal? A supportive community of entrepreneurs/startups, unlimited capital, a wealth of excellent mentors, great and affordable legal advice, cheap office space, excellent research institutions – the thing is, Kansas City already has most of those aside from the unlimited capital part. But our VP, Ryan Weber, had a passion for that and is now the KC director for Angel Capital Group, bringing much needed, early stage funding to our region. KC may not have the big names that other regions do, but we have all the pieces in place and the community of innovators is getting bigger and stronger. I guess on the big names thing, Zaarly’s getting up there. And now that they have Meg Whitman on their board, I think more and more people will be following what they’re up to. It’s a cool story for everyone involved and a great testament to some of the innovative thinking happening here in the metro.

What do you like best about being involved in the research/technology community in Kansas City?

Seeing how passionate people are here. And it’s a different passion than what you might see on the coasts. Here, it’s more about believing in a long term vision vs. just building something to sell off in a year.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I want to throw a plug out there for Startup Weekend. It’s a really cool event, where you show up, form teams and basically build a company over a weekend. They usually have two a year. Even if you’re just curious about startups and want to learn, it’s a great event to learn by doing something vs. just reading about it.

How should interested people get in touch with you?

Jump on kchub.org, create an account and start posting interesting news/events about innovation in KC and throughout the world, or join us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. We like social media and talking about innovation. Come to a KCNext happy hour or Tech ESP event (when they start again in the spring) – we’re usually at those events. Feel free to drop us a line via our site as well.

Thanks for sharing Aaron and it will be exciting to see what is next for the Kansas City area!

Tags: 1102 GRAND, Aaron Sloup, ecosystem for innovation, entrepreneur, innovation hub, Internet Hub, Kansas City, KC community, KC Hub, KC Hub co-founder, Matt Sawka, Matt Wilson, Ryan Weber, Startup Weekend
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Kansas City Events, technology companies | No Comments »

Join Us At The KCNext IT Networking Event

Friday, November 11th, 2011

Posted by: Greg Elliott, Director of Business Development at 1102 GRAND

The KCNext IT Networking Event takes place Thursday, November 17, 2011 from 5-8 p.m. Raffles will be from 6-7 p.m. The event will be held at the College Basketball Experience (see below for address). To register or sponsor Click Here. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

College Basketball Experience
1401 Grand Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64106

Tags: 1102 GRAND, College Basketball Experience, events, it networking, KCnext
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Kansas City Events, Kansas City Technology Networking Events | No Comments »

COO Of Dibon ARO BPO Speaks At ACCP Meeting

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

Posted by: Greg Elliott, Director of Business Development at 1102 GRAND

I recently attended an ACCP (Association of Customer Contact Professionals) meeting where Michael Amigoni, COO of Dibon ARO BPO, gave a fascinating presentation on the virtual call center. Over 15 years ago, Michael had the vision to tap the power of the new “distributed workforce” operational model to increase his customers’ service quality and lower delivery cost. He co-authored a book, “Managing the Telecommuting Employee,” sharing best practices to help virtual call centers “maximize profit and productivity.” Michael shared with us excerpts from his book and interesting and sometimes funny real life examples of what to do and what not to do when running a virtual call center. Michael gave a comparison ROI between a regular bricks and mortar call center and the virtual call center. The total savings for the virtual call center was about $1,200,000 annually! He also shared with the group that two of the best things he ever did since getting involved in the contact center industry was moving their datacenter to 1102 GRAND and migrating to the inContact Software Platform. By moving their datacenter to 1102 GRAND and switching to inContact, it freed him and his team to focus on their core business, customer service. Now, on the datacenter side, they don’t have to worry about redundant cooling units, power feeds, battery backups, generator service, etc., they leave all that to us at 1102 GRAND. I was able to purchase Michael’s book at the event. To preview and purchase “Managing the Telecommuting Employee” go to http://bit.ly/rYZmNK. Great stuff, thanks Michael!

I encourage all who currently own or run a contact center, or are interested in the contact center industry, to come and check out an ACCP meeting. ACCP is a professional, non-profit association whose members represent customer contact organizations and the vendors who support them. The membership consists of organizations of all sizes and from a variety of industries. They have first and third-party focused members including telemarketing, call centers, collections, customer service facilities, help desks, client retention, etc. To learn more about ACCP and upcoming events go to http://associationccp.com/Home.aspx or give me a call at 816-213-7731.

Tags: 1102 GRAND, ACCP, collocation, data center, Data Center Security, data management, datacenter, Dibon ARO BPO, inContact Software Platform, Managine the Telecommuting Employee, Michael Amigoni, Midwest data center, telecommunications
Posted in 1102 GRAND, Colocation Information, Kansas City Events, Kansas City Technology Networking Events | No Comments »

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1102 GRAND Signs-On As Supporter Sponsor of Big KC: Looks Forward To Meeting With Emerging Tech Companies in Kansas City

Thursday, March 21st, 2013

Kansas City Data Center & Internet Hub Reviews Best Upcoming Technology & Networking Events

Friday, October 5th, 2012

I Cannot Wait For This Monday: MLB All-Star Home Run Derby at Kauffman Stadium

Friday, July 6th, 2012

1102 GRAND Congratulates UMKC On Their No. 1 Ranking For Innovation Research Management

Friday, December 16th, 2011

Kansas City’s Think Big Partners Latest Initiative “The Gigabit Challenge Finale” Great Event to Turn Ideas into Viable Businesses

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

Kansas City’s Centriq IT Training Event Great Opportunity For Business Employers

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

KCnext – The Technology Council of Greater Kansas City’s Fall IT Networking Event a Success!

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

1102 GRAND Features Aaron Sloup, KC Hub

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011

Join Us At The KCNext IT Networking Event

Friday, November 11th, 2011

COO Of Dibon ARO BPO Speaks At ACCP Meeting

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011