Fox Web Creations is very pleased to announce that this week we have joined forces with Kansas City Startup Village, a community group led by and made up of startups and entrepreneurs in the Kansas City area. The goal of the group is to support and foster the growth of startups within the community, to encourage and enable education and collaboration, and to increase opportunities for startups and entrepreneurs to succeed through recruitment, programming and knowledge sharing. The vision for the future of KCSV is to establish the Greater Kansas City Area as a hub for small and larger businesses, and to serve as an example and resource to other hubs in other cities.
In the 3 years since its inception, the Kansas City Startup Village has brought together some amazing people and ideas, and has launched a number of exciting business ventures into the public shpere. This type of collaborative environment where everyone has a voice can foster amazing progress for both the businesses and the individuals involved, and can create growth and development in technology and industry in a way that many hierarchical systems simply cannot. Take a look at this video for some comments from some of the people involved.
A little history from the KCSV website:
For almost 3 years, the Kansas City Startup Village (KCSV) has operated as:
An entrepreneur-led community helping to grow and support Kansas City entrepreneurs and the startup ecosystem.
While this purpose and operational mindset has served us well so far, the KCSV community has grown to the point that it now impacts many individuals and organizations in a number of ways, both beneficially and perhaps detrimentally.
When people ask, “What is the Kansas City Startup Village?, the answer is often, “an organic and grassroots community without an operational hierarchy or any direct funding, but rather many co-leaders who voluntarily work side-by-side and primarily fund initiatives themselves.” This is a genuine and true answer, and those who hear it are often inspired and intrigued.
However, at times, those who wish to support the KCSV or even those who wish to challenge it wonder how to appropriately do so. If the KCSV doesn’t have clear leadership or isn’t a legal entity, who actually receives support and resources given to it? Or, who specifically should be addressed when issues arise?
KCSV has grown into a full-fledged community member and currently, they are in the process of finalizing paperwork to create a non-profit organization–Kansas City Startup Foundation (or KCSF)–to work as an umbrella speaker for the co-leaders of the KCSV, allowing for simpler organizational and operational processes. People are now able to donate to the group as well as shop for KCSV-themed merchandise and individual residents will have a place to direct their comments and complaints. It will also provide a more convenient point of contact for the government agencies and permit organizations. This should lead to a smoother flow for all involved, and allow creators and entrepreneurs to focus more directly on their work and lead to a better “work-life” balance for all.
KCSV is focused mainly on technological and virtual business because the trigger for its creation and organization was the coming of Google Fiber to the Greater Kansas City Area. The gigabit internet speeds changed the way online business could be done and increased options for collaboration and information sharing. This offered new options and opportunities for startups in the fields of eCommerce, programming, internet marketing, online security and more. As demonstrated on the map below, many of the KCSV locations are clustered around the area in which Google Fiber was first released, with more joining all the time.
With the KCSV being focused on smaller entrepreneurial startups, and the Greater Kansas City Area becoming a hub for online business, the area has become an example and attraction for other areas. There are tours available of the KCSV and it has been visited by a variety of investors, local and regional government officials, and community members interested in how the process works. The vast majority of responses have been positive, mainly focused on how well the environment works for the creators and employees and how productive people are able to be in a place where various businesses are working in such close proximity.
We here at Fox Web Creations are thrilled to be a part of such a ground-breaking community group and are looking forward to collaborating with the other startups involved. Fox Web Creations is a Kansas City-based web design and SEO firm, dedicated to bringing the best service and products possible to all our clients. We specialize in Responsive web design, Search Engine Optimization, eCommerce development, and graphic design. Please contact us for more information or to get a quote.
Local Businesses we support in the Kansas City Area :
Immigration Lawyer Kansas City: The Law Office of Micki Buschart
Towing and Roadside Assistance Kansas City: VS Services LLC
