One of the biggest bits (pun intended) of news in Kansas City is that Google is bringing Fiber  high-speed internet to our city, both KCMO & KCK. People are buzzing about what this means for business here and tech startups are starting to reconsider the Silicon Prairie in the Midwest as a place where their startup dollars go further.

When the various clubs I’m a part of starting talking about what Google Fiber will mean to Kansas City, I wondered, “Do we have the support and resources in Kansas City to help tech start ups really thrive here?” I asked around and found out about fantastic organizations like Startup KC, KC Source Link, Silicon Prairie Digest, Think Big Partners and more.

Then an email came across my inbox from Under30CEO, a national brand committed to education and resources around GenY’s approach to entrepreneurship. I’ve followed them for awhile and recognized the strong branding they tout and decided to help launch the Kansas City chapter of their national organization.

Along with fantastic firecrackers like Steven Chau, Brande Stitt, Jacob McDaniel and a dozen others, we gather our founding members and started up our local chapter. Since August, we’ve had 3 meetups, the biggest being last night, November 14th at the Chamber Board room. We hosted a panel called “Everything I Need to Know, I Learned in My First Year” as part of the big kick off to Global Entrepreneurship Week here in Kansas City. The turnout and response were fantastic and I can see that we’ve started something powerful in KC.

Membership: $99 for national Under30CEO membership, but you don’t have to pay to be a part of the Kansas City chapter; members and nonmembers alike are welcome to all Under30CEO-KC Networking events
Activities: between 8-12 events per year, focused on connecting GenY Entrepreneurs to share war stories, inspiration, lessons learned and generally share the energy young CEOs and starts ups radiate. We also host speakers in various areas to help newer companies learn from the young successful companies.
Who’s involved: Gen Y Entrepreneurs and Young CEOs in all industries in Kansas City. No, you don’t have to be a CEO or be under 30, just have to have a youthful approach to growing and creating business! Startup KC, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and various Kansas City businesses like Karats Jewelers and Pieroguys lead the founding membership.

Look to get involved in Under30CEO if you’re:

• Generation Y/Under 30 “ish”
• looking to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs in Kansas City
• want to learn from those who have made it to year 2, year 5 and beyond in their ventures

Sign up for the Under30CEO-KC email list or check out what’s happening and see upcoming events in the Under30CEOKC Facebook group.