Members of the KC community explore the space of Sprint’s new mobile health accelerator.
Last week, Sprint unveiled that its new accelerator will be located in Kansas City’s Crossroads District. CEO Dan Hesse and Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Sly James were on hand for the launch, and spoke to the potential of the mobile health accelerator, which will be “powered” by Techstars. Now that the full details have been announced, Silicon Prairie News asked Sprint vice president Kevin McGinnis a few questions that will help the community better understand the space’s value in a broader sense for Kansas City.
“This is the culmination of over a year’s worth of learning for Sprint, on how we can engage,” McGinnis told SPN. “So, this is a foundational step to create a platform for many things we want to do and see adding value—ranging from the Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator and programmatic elements to partnerships and opportunities we’ve yet to announce. This is another step in our journey to help Kansas City reach its full potential as a tech hub and destination for entrepreneurs.”
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Silicon Prairie News: When do you expect the space to open?
Kevin McGinnis: Construction begins in the next two weeks and we expect both the co-working/community and accelerator spaces to be completed by the end of the year.
SPN: What special features of the space are you excited about?
KM: I’m excited about the opportunity to create another gathering point and hub for the entrepreneurial community. I think the technology—both access and collaboration—and workspace will exceed expectations when we’re done with the updates and construction.
SPN: How will the Techstars space be used in the months when the accelerator isn’t running?
KM: We’re looking at a variety of uses for that space, including ongoing innovation work, community space for events and co-working space for specific startups that come out of the accelerator and decide to make Kansas City their new home.
SPN: How many classes per year are you anticipating?
KM: The current plan is one class per year, but in true startup fashion, we’ll evaluate and “pivot or persevere” after we have one class behind us.
SPN: How will the space be used for the larger community?
KM: There are a couple of uses for the larger tech and entrepreneurial communities in Kansas City and the region, for that matter. First, the idea that we’ll be running programs in the space—focused on STEM and entrepreneurial education—in addition to other events supporting growth, learning and collaboration for all involved is extremely exciting to bring to the neighborhood to add to what’s already there. Second, we’ll be creating a meeting spot for our co-working partners, the community of entrepreneurs and our corporate partners to foster dialogue and action every day.
Credits: Photo by Fred Bauters.
