Archive
Ryan Weber
February 18, 2020
Resources Ryan Weber Ryan is growing the region’s tech ecosystem as President of KCnext. His background in recruiting angel investors to KC is serving him well as he shifts his focus to attracting tech companies and a growing workforce. When Did the Need for a Dedicated Technology Council Become Apparent? In 2009, the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC) created KCnext after being approached by a small group of tech leaders. KCADC was having a lot of success attracting numerous companies to Kansas City. However, none of these new firms were tech companies. Knowing there was a sizeable tech industry in Kansas…
Brian Brooker
February 17, 2020
Resources Brian Brooker Brian is a nationally recognized writer, Chief Creative Officer and CEO. His work has helped a who’s who list of companies elevate their message. Brian’s latest endeavour is applying his brand of creative thinking at Garmin. You’re an Agency Guy Gone Product-Side for the First Time. What Advantages Are You Seeing With That Dynamic? Well, for starters, every time Garmin comes out with a new product it’s like winning a great piece of new business. No more pitches. Ever. There are no timesheets, either. I go where I see the need. I stay as long as is required. I…
Andy Tretiak
February 16, 2020
Resources Andy Tretiak Andy leads marketing, advertising and community relations efforts for Sporting Kansas City and Sporting Innovations. As Chief Marketing Officer he has built one of the hottest brands in MLS and our city. Your Agency Background Hammered Home That a Brand Is More Than Logo and Colors on a Jersey. How Did You Roll It out Internally to Get Buy-in From All Corners of the Organization? My goal was to establish a blueprint for the Sporting Kansas City brand based on the vision our ownership group had for the club. This was going to represent a sea of change for the organization,…
Eze Redwood
February 15, 2020
Resources Eze Redwood Eze is an entrepreneur splitting time between a pair of startup businesses with U-Hoops and Wings Cafe. He’s also a community builder for the next generation of business leaders. You Caught the Entrepreneurship Bug Early. Why Did It Find You Before Others Your Age? I didn’t have an allowance growing up. I had a lot of things I wanted to buy! It forced me to look around for problems I could solve that would generate the funds I needed. A Restaurant and a Sports Startup Seem Like Two Totally Different Pursuits. How Are They Similar From Your Standpoint? Any startup business…
Andy Rieger
February 14, 2020
Resources Andy Rieger Andy is the Co-Founder & Operator of Jacob Rieger & Company. Along with partner Ryan Maybee they are bringing the historic spirits brand & iconic distillery back to Kansas City. How Has Your Background in Finance Blended With Ryan’s Bartending Expertise? When we met, we were polar opposites. I was a computer guy, he was a face-to-face guy. I was right-minded and Ryan was left-minded. While our differences would lead people to assume we have a challenging business relationship, it has actually helped us excel. Where I was lacking particular skills for this business, Ryan has been there to fill the…
Matthew Hufft
February 13, 2020
Resources Matthew Hufft Matthew is Founder and Creative Director of Hufft Projects. Comprised of architects, artists, designers and craftsmen, Hufft is bridging the gap between trades and technology. The holistic design work coming out of the digital, wood, and metal studios are routinely recognized by the likes of Dwell, AIA, Esquire, Architectural Record and many others. Your Studio Is Turning 10 Next Year. How Do You Approach Projects Differently Today Compared to When You First Ventured Out? While we are working on a larger number of projects across a broader scope, our design process remains very much the same. There is a…
Brandon Wilson
February 12, 2020
Resources Brandon Wilson Brandon is Creative Director at Contrabrand / RideFourEver where he bridges the gap between tactile traditional design and the function of digital user experience. He made his extreme attention detail evident to many in last year’s Numbers Project. Every Morning Last Year You Woke up and Illustrated a New Number. Every. Day. Which Sounds Easy Until You See Each Day’s Finished Product. What Did You Get out of That Besides 365 Sweet Digits? Thanks. I guess I’ll never really know…ha, but my goal was really simple: do something creative everyday for a whole year. The idea came out of talking to my sister…
Katie Boody
February 11, 2020
Resources Katie Boody Katie is Founder & CEO of The Lean Lab an innovation incubator where educators develop new school models, services and products. The mission is better education for all kids in KC using creativity and a startup mentality. Here’s a Softball: Why Is Education Innovation More Likely to Happen in a Startup Context Than Within the Bureaucracy of Public Education? The keyword here is agility. Though stability and bureaucracy have their place in large systems, like public education, we often see that educators end up feeling that they need permission to innovate. There is a sense of rigidity, that new ideas…
Eric Melin
January 30, 2020
Resources Eric Melin Eric aka Mean Melin is a drummer, Community Manager at Callahan Creek, and most notably the 2013 World Air Guitar Champ. We Talk With a Lot of "Makers." With Your Air Guitaring, What Is It You'd Say You Make? Joy? Hate? Confidence? Well, there’s an inherent absurd entertainment value for sure. The concept of air guitar as something that’s done on it’s own (rather than movements one makes while enjoying music) evokes a lot of feelings in people. Sometimes its pure joy, and people lose their inhibitions and connect with you. Other times, it’s hate. Those people I can’t help.…
Chris Evans
January 30, 2020
Resources Chris Evans Chris is Founder & Creative at ecokiddo, where he builds brand stories kids and families love. He is also part of a team that provides executive-level, behind-the-scenes talent for area agencies through You’re Welcome. Please Tell Me You Wanted to Be an Accountant as a Child Until a Dramatic Twist of Events Led You to This. You mean how does a single guy with no kids find himself working for 15 years in kids and family advertising and design? Chalk it up to arrested development? Actually, what originally drew me to the niche and keeps me passionately engaged is…
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