Big Des Moines

  • A special note about Big Des Moines

    Silicon Prairie News is dedicated to the grassroots building of the Midwest startup community. From writing about the region’s entrepreneurs to connecting attendees at our Big Series events, the development of a strong community is core to who we are; how we best serve you is a question we push ourselves to consider every day.…

  • Rap Genius co-founder and five more to join Big Des Moines lineup

    We’ve been hard at work putting together the first round of speakers for this year’s Big Des Moines. We leaked our first six speakers at the Silicon Prairie Awards and now, we’d like to formally introduce the individuals who will take the stage October 10-11 and share their stories, encouraging you in your entrepreneurial ventures.…

  • Ryan Downs’ six elements of the Midwest’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

    Ryan Downs, the CEO of Omaha-based Proxibid whose career spans working on a rural Nebraska farm as an 8-year-old to helping guide PayPal through its initial public offering, credits the Midwest’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to helping him advance in his career. At our Big Kansas City event Wednesday, he broke down that ecosystem into six elements:…

  • Watch the Mailbox founder share his affection for Dropbox in 2012 (Video)

    With today’s news that Dropbox acquired Mailbox—check out the Wall Street Journal for the full story—we’re re-releasing our video of the San Francisco startup’s co-founder, Gentry Underwood, speaking at our Des Moines event this past October. “I think one of the best examples out there right now of a startup that focuses is Dropbox,” …

  • A call for artists to exhibit at our Big Series events

    It’s our goal at Silicon Prairie News to produce events that deliver a comprehensive experience. From the moment our attendees walk in the door, we aim to present an environment conducive to learning, exploring, interacting and collaborating. The elements in the event space play an important role to achieve this atmosphere and with The Big…

  • Big Kansas City tickets available now, four more speakers announced

    Individual tickets for Big Kansas City are now on sale. The ticket to our inaugural conference will provide access to the two-and-a-half day event, four official conference parties and an environment that acts as a catalyst for conversation and relationship building. The Big Kansas City general admission ticket is available for $449 and a special…

  • Big Season Pass now on sale, first Big Kansas City speakers revealed

    Registration for the Big Season Pass, a golden ticket to attend all three of The Big Series events, is now available. This pass provides an exclusive 20 percent discount and guarantees a seat to Big Kansas City, Big Omaha and Big Des Moines. The Big Season Pass is on sale for a general admission price…

  • Our Big Season Pass goes on sale at 11 a.m. tomorrow

    Your first opportunity to purchase our Big Season Pass, a golden ticket to attend all three of The Big Series events, begins at 11 a.m. CST tomorrow. This pass provides an exclusive 20 percent discount and guarantees a seat to Big Kansas City, Big Omaha and Big Des Moines. Ticket details: The Big Series Pass…

  • Inside SPN: Why Big Des Moines?

    In our November announcement naming our full-time Kansas City staff and new event, Big Kansas City, we casually mentioned that Thinc Iowa, our two-year-old event in Des Moines, would now be called Big Des Moines. I’ve heard lots of good feedback from the community, but I wanted to use our new behind-the-scenes series to share…

  • Big Kansas City: It’s finally here

    In November, we announced a name and a date for our inaugural Kansas City event, but we teased much to be desired. Today, our conference becomes a reality as we reveal the vision and branding that will make the event truly come alive March 26-28. Big Kansas City joins Big Omaha and …