We’re heading into year two of Big Kansas City, and looking forward to sharing your stories and those of our speakers over the next few weeks. All of this wouldn’t be possible without our content partner, Pinsight Media+. They are a pioneer in mobile media with deep entrepreneurial roots. Their team brings leadership, experience and global awareness to Kansas City’s booming startup community. To learn more or talk with our friends at Pinsight, email Serge Bushman, sbushman@pinsightmedia.com.
Technology, design, fashion and nonprofit—just a few of the industries represented by this year’s Big Kansas City speakers. But you didn’t think we were done with our lineup yet, did you? Today marks the two week point from the Opening Party, and we have an exciting announcement. Here are three more leaders who will be sharing their stories with attendees at Big Kansas City 2014.
Nancy Lublin
You could call Nancy Lublin a serial advocate. With more than two decades in the nonprofit industry, she has been responsible for countless charitable campaigns, launched either by her personally or through her organizations.
After graduating from Brown, Oxford and NYU, Lublin founded Dress for Success, a nonprofit improving employment opportunities for women by providing them with job training and professional clothing for interviews. Since the beginning, the organization has assisted more than 700,000 women in 120 cities and 12 countries.
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Today, Lublin is the CEO of DoSomething.org. The nonprofit is focused on empowering young people to launch campaigns focusing on a variety of social issues. With nearly 3 million members, DoSomething.org is the largest organization for teenagers and social change in America, creating an incredible platform to amplify the voices of youth and the causes they represent.
One cause launched by Lublin through DoSomething.org is the Crisis Text Line (CTL). This 24/7 service provides support for teens experiencing any crisis. Lublin spoke about CTL in her well-known TED Talk. Watch it here.
Shradha Agarwal
Context is everything. Using this simple idea, Shradha Agarwal has launched an innovative company that capitalizes on a decades-old, inevitable and often dreaded situation.
She is the founder of ContextMedia, a company that partners with healthcare professions to provide relevant waiting-room programming to patients with chronic conditions. The mission-based business uses targeted communication to reach individuals with messaging that empowers viewers to make healthier life choices. More simply, it doesn’t just provide a bearable waiting-room experience, but a beneficial one.
Fluent in five languages, Agarwal has lived in Delhi, Calcutta, Singapore and New York. However, she made the decision to start her business in Chicago. This Midwest resident will make the short trek to Kansas City in October to discuss the importance of targeted communication and the lessons she’s learned founding ContextMedia.
Anita Newton
Marketing is a broad term that can be split into an almost endless number of categories. It seems unfair to say that someone “knows marketing” – but Anita Newton knows marketing.
She’s held positions as a Vice President of Marketing at Sprint, AMC Theaters and most recently Adknowledge. Newton was the CMO for Zave Networks, a technology company that would go on to be acquired by Google in 2011.
But she has more than just some of the nation’s largest and most respected businesses on her resume. For years, Newton has been a trusted consultant for startups in the Midwest and across the nation. And while she has been tasked with overseeing a $1 billion marketing budget, she could also tell you the best way to stretch the $1,000 you can afford to allocate.
This expansive knowledge is what led the Kauffman Foundation to ask Newton to lead Marketing education on their platform Founders School. In two weeks, see her expand on the golden knowledge she dishes out in her class.
You could have the chance to meet with Anita Newton privately. Kauffman will be sending one person to Big Kansas City for free, as well as giving them 30 minutes of 1-on-1 time with Anita Newton. Stay tuned for details on how to become eligible.
The addition of these three makes for 14 speakers at Big Kansas City 2014. To see the full list, visit bigkansascity.co, and help us welcome our new speakers on Twitter @nancylublin, @shr4dha and @AnitaBNewton.
If you haven’t purchased your Big Kansas City ticket yet, you can do so here. Looking for a discount? Bring a friend and save up to $240 on your admission.
