Prairie Moves is a roundup of career changes, media coverage, product development and other updates from the companies and individuals regularly covered by Silicon Prairie News. To submit an item for consideration, please email editor@siliconprairienews.com or use the form below.
Lead Read
“On America’s plains, a war for server farms” – Fortune sheds light on a $1.5 billion data center project that Iowa and Nebraska are competing to land. Rumored companies behind the project include Facebook, Apple and Amazon.
Quotable
“I don’t know if Hatchlings is my ticket to becoming a billionaire, but I’m certainly having a good time doing it.” – Hatchlings’ founder Brad Dwyer in an interview with the Des Moines Business Record.
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Career moves
- Tom McDonnell, currently CEO of DST, will join the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as president and CEO on January 1, 2013 – Press Release, Kansas City Star, Kansas City Business Journal and SPN
- Regan Carrizales, formerly with Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, joined Silicon Prairie News as a community builder in Kansas City – SPN
New tech
- Far Reach revealed Allowd, a secure, simple way for your employees to access Dwolla – allowdapp.com
Product and business updates
- Dwolla rolled out Guest Checkout, an option that allows merchants to let non-Dwolla users pay using Dwolla – Dwolla blog, SPN, Des Moines Register, The Next Web, TechCrunch, BetaKit, Fast Company
- Banno announced a partnership with ProfitStars, a division of Jack Henry & Associates Inc., that puts to use its financial decision support tool, Grip – Press Release and Bank Technology News
- Think Big Partners spun off marketing company Inboun – Press Release
- BettrLife announced its mobile application will be featured on Aetna’s CarePass platform – BettrLife Press Release and Aetna Press Release
- Change introduced its Dwolla integration – Change blog
Mentions
- Goodsmiths – “Iowa Innovation: Have a very crafty Christmas, from Goodsmiths” – Des Moines Register
- Fannect – “Kansas City startup rolls out fan-engagement app” – Kansas City Business Journal
- EyeVerify – “Instead of a Password, Security Software Just Checks Your Eyes” – MIT Technology Review
- adFreeq – “Startup isn’t aiming to save newspapers, but could help them” – Kansas City Star
- Slouch Couch – “Indie game Drugbound challenges the views on marijuana laws” – PCG Media
- Souch Couch – “How one indie developer believes a game can change the views on marijuana” – PCG Media
- OneLouder Apps – “BaconReader is a Tasty Reddit Client for Android” – LifeHacker
- Dwolla – “Derby Jackpot is off to the races with real-money social gaming” – GigaOm
- DMgigs – “Tech Spotlight: DMgigs, never out of service” – Des Moines Register
- Brad Dwyer of Hatchlings – “The Entrepreneurs: Brad Dwyer” – Des Moines Business Record
- Greg Kratofil of Polsinelli Shughart PC – “Up Close: Greg Kratofil, tech attorney at Polsinelli Shughart PC” – Kansas City Business Journal
- “Finding the workforce to bring technology to market” – Omaha World-Herald
- “Facing The Future Of Cities” – Kansas City Public Media
Gig bits
Gig Bits is an occasional feature keeping our readers up to speed on Google Fiber. Read Gig Bits.
- Google Fiber, tech startup scene turn spotlight to Kansas City – Kansas City Startup Village
- Google Fiber connects entrepreneurs to free room and board in Startup Village – KSHB
- It takes a Google village to grow tech startups – Ink
- The rest of the Internet is too slow for Google Fiber – Ars Technica
Recognition
- Banno named one of Bank Technology News’ “Top 10 Tech Companies to Watch“
Blogged
- “Iowa entrepreneurs need our help” – Andy Stoll
- “Photos and a recap of Dwolla’s 2nd anniversary celebration” – Dwolla
- “Smaller Hackathons” – Alex Taub
- “What I was actually doing for those 15 months in Chicago…” – Derek Brooks
- “Think Big Accelerator Spotlight: Parker Hills of Keyzio” – Think Big Partners
- “031 Think Big Radio: Q&A With Kansas City Startup Weekend Winner Wazoo” – Think Big Partners
- “Hudlie Of The Week: Mike Hays” – Hudl
- “Hudl State Champions Round II” – Hudl
- “Front Flip Insider: Max Kunakhovich” – Front Flip
- “Want to Study Entrepreneurship? How to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck” – Greg Bier
Misc.
- “On America’s plains, a war for server farms” – Fortune
- “GAN fiber optic install progresses” – The Humboldt Independent
- StartupCity Spencer, a tech startup incubator that shares the same name as a Des Moines tech startup incubator, won a $5,000 Ripple Effect community planning grant – Press Release
- Compute Midwest released video of Dan Levin, COO of Box – Kansas City IT Professionals
- Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation released paper: “Entrepreneurial Community in Kansas City: From Fragmented to Collaborative?“
Credits: Screenshot from tech.fortune.cnn.com
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