Two days of talks, discussions and panels on technology’s influence are filling an energized corner of Kansas City, Mo. this week.
The Forum, a tech and culture conference held in conjunction with the music-focused Middle of the Map Fest, ran all day Thursday and continues today at OfficePort (a coworking facility we covered earlier this year), StagePort (left) and Screenland in the Crossroads District.
On Thursday, Forum attendees heard from a variety of leaders from the Kansas City area, including Michael Gelphman of the Kansas City Information Technology Professionals (KCITP), Shaul Jolles of OfficePort, Josh Coleman of AgLocal and Jase Wilson of Luminopolis. Mayors from both sides of the state line and representatives from Cerner Corporation, UMKC, Microsoft and Google Fiber spoke at the event, which was comprised of keynote talks and multi-speaker panels that focused on audience Q&A. Topics ranged from creative disaster relief to cash flow and innovation to communication.
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During the Instant Access panel, which was led by Ryan Weber of KCnext – The Technology Council of Greater Kansas City, education, healthcare and personal computing were heavily discussed, especially regarding how Google Fiber could change their landscape for the better. Panelists shared how Fiber has brought a little bit of swagger to town and how Kansas Citians can use that to gain media attention for startups and to save more money.
Michael Gelphman (far right) founder of KCITP, speaks during the Instant Access panel on Thursday. He was joined by (from left) Eric Solberg of DB Duality, Laura Hale of Cerner and Greg Kratofil of Polsinelli Shughart.
Social media was also a popular topic. The panelists stressed to attendees that there is room for growth in all sectors to get past the “scary” feeling that embracing social media often evokes. It’s a useful tool, they said, but it has to be used.
Another highlight of the event was a light-hearted panel centered around Hosting Innnovation. During the panel, which was complete with bottles of whiskey, panelists discussed ways businesses can not only host innovation amongst their employees, customers and clients but also enable it.
Danny O’Neill of The Roasterie shared his thoughts on how the community needs to be given permission to innovate, and how it’s the job of entrepreneurs, business-owners and creatives to be deliberate and intentional about the innovative culture that they desire. Define the culture of innovation that you want, instead of allowing it to be defined for you, O’Neill told the audience.
Danny O’Neill (left), the founder of The Roasterie, speaks during a panel on Hosting Innovation Thursday afternoon. Steve Miller, a co-founder of MindMixer, looks on.
Across the board Thursday, many speakers and panelists emphasized a common message: let’s create more entrepreneurial success stories in Kansas City.
For more information and coverage on the event, which was presented by Ink Magazine, visit middleofthemapfest.com/forum.
Image credits: Photos by Annie Sorensen.
