Silicon Prairie News

Posts by Michael Stacy
3427_266aceed17_small January 11, 2012 by Michael Stacy

Long lines for the elliptical machine at a jam-packed gym have you rethinking that New Years resolution already? Well, the team at Codeacademy has an alternative idea. Codeacademy, a startup that provides free … read more

3425_adcaca777a_small January 11, 2012 by Michael Stacy

Kansas City At a time when most social applications rely on networks of people that know each other and on content produced by users with distinguishable identities, Kansas City, Mo.-based JimmyGood Technology is taking an altogether different approach with its latest application, MindPush. What if all you know about someone else is that they're … read more

3418_b654c00d38_small January 10, 2012 by Michael Stacy

Ames My Online Camp started in 2006 with a single client and a single goal: helping coaches and camp operators promote and manage camps more successfully. Today, the Ames-based startup has 1,100 clients and counting scattered across the country. But the story of the company's growth starts with a King Kong-sized … read more

3410_5638aea567_small January 9, 2012 by Michael Stacy

Overland Park When it launched last year, Tech Orchard specialized in purchasing, refurbishing and reselling pre-owned iPads and iPhones. But the team behind the Overland Park, Kan-based startup soon identified a related sector ripe with opportunity. "As we were doing the research, we found a tremendous need in providing managed services for iPads, that include leasing, training, implementing, supporting and recycling the devices," Phil Poje, Tech Orchard … read more

3401_0610b2a4f5_small January 6, 2012 by Michael Stacy

Iowa City It wasn't long ago that Michal Eynon-Lynch (far left) and Riley Eynon-Lynch (near left) made their living as teachers, educating students on subjects like math and science, history and humanities. Now, the wife and husband are getting an education of their own — on bootstrapping a startup. The Eynon-Lynches, along with designer Dan Sweeney, make … read more

3396_5a2d0d4c0c_small January 5, 2012 by Michael Stacy

Des Moines Shannon Thomas' pitch last March on the final night of Startup Weekend Des Moines wasn't quite enough to win over the judges — her startup, Fundle, earned best pitch didn't finish among the top three overall* — but it helped her catch the attention of the one person in the room who turned out to matter most of all. "She just totally rocked the pitch," Kenny Younger said of Thomas. "It was amazing. … read more

3388_c527c9fd1a_small January 3, 2012 by Michael Stacy

Omaha Proxibid, the Omaha-based real auction marketplace, today launched Proxibid Classifieds, a new listing service that gives auction companies and business sellers the ability to sell items directly to buyers. Using Proxibid Classifieds, sellers can create an account and be ready to sell their items in just minutes. Buyers, meanwhile, are not required … read more

3390_c16a72cde3_small January 3, 2012 by Michael Stacy

Kansas City Carl Schramm, the president and CEO of the The Ewing Marion Kauffmann Foundation, today announced that he is stepping down from his post at the Kansas City, Mo.-based foundation. Kauffman Foundation trustee Benno Schmidt has taken over as the organization's interim president, and the search for a new president and CEO will begin this year. During a decade with Schramm at its helm, the Kauffman Foundation revamped its Kauffman … read more

3377_249876a8f1_small December 30, 2011 by Michael Stacy

Overland Park Today's smartphone-powered world has reached a point that stories of autocorrect gone awry have achieved almost urban-legend status. Everyone, it seems, has an anecdote of autocorrect out of control. Heck, there are entire websites dedicated to the confusing, humorous and oftentimes excruciatingly awkward outcomes produced when a phone has a mind of its own. Now, thanks to … read more

3373_57981d457b_small December 29, 2011 by Michael Stacy

Des Moines There’s nothing quite like quality face time with enthusiastic users and a big IPO from a competitor to renew a startup’s zest for pursuing aggressive growth. That’s a lesson learned recently by Brad Dwyer, the Panora, Iowa-based founder of Hatchlings. Dwyer created Hatchlings, a Facebook game that revolves around finding, collecting and hatching virtual Easter eggs, in 2008, when he was a student at Iowa State. A few years into the venture, Dwyer started mulling the idea of selling the company or otherwise reducing his involvement to free up time for other projects. … read more

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