Starting next week, Digital Sandbox KC will host a series of free workshops on raising capital, acquiring customers and other vital topics for startup companies.
This will be the third year for the “Summer in the Sand” series, which will be held at the Sprint Accelerator. Each session runs for 90 minutes and starts at 3 p.m. While admission is free, registration is required, and there’s a limit of two attendees per company.
This year’s slate includes:
The Funding Landscape in Kansas City: Gaining a Home Field Advantage
June 24: Maria Meyers, founder and network builder at KCSourceLink, will talk about ways that young companies can find the funding they need to keep growing. Meyers will talk about a recent report from KCSourceLink and its partners on the current state of startup funding here in Kansas City.
Batter Up! Making an Effective Pitch to the Digital Sandbox KC
July 15: Jeff Shackelford, director of Digital Sandbox KC, will tell you exactly what decision-makers want to see before approving a company for Sandbox support. In just a few short years, Digital Sandbox KC has become a leading source of funding and coaching for young ventures in Kansas City. Its participants have won more than $17.7 million in follow-on funding and have created 181 jobs.
Don’t Get Caught Looking: How Early Customer Acquisition Can Fuel Funding
Aug. 19: Three local entrepreneurs—Stuart Ludlow of RFP365, Danny O’Neill of The Roasterie and Babir Sultan of Royal Loyal—will talk about the creative ways they landed their first customers and how that helped them to later win over investors.
Pitching in the Big Leagues When the Bases Are Loaded
Sept. 16: Want to learn what investors really want to see in a startup’s pitch? At this workshop, you’ll have a chance to ask them yourself. Panelists will include Tom DeBacco, general partner at Flyover Capital; Lance LeMay, managing director at OpenAir Equity Partners; Rick Vaughn, managing director at Mid-America Angels; and Jill Meyer, senior technology development and commercialization consultant at the UMKC Small Business and Technology Development Center.
Just a reminder: Digital Sandbox KC takes applications on a rolling basis. If you’re a startup looking for help with market validation, beta testing, market validation and more, learn more about the program here.
