Starting Friday, the art of the startup gets weeklong attention in Kansas City

The fourth annual Kansas City celebration of entrepreneurship, created by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, launches Friday with a “rookie lunch” designed for anyone who wants more information about 1Week KC events.

Daily details are on the 1Week KC website at 1weekkc.com, where registration forms and costs, if any, are posted.

The rookie lunch runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at the Google Fiber Space Lounge, 1814 Westport Road.

Nathan Kurtz, a senior program officer at the Kauffman Foundation, said the week is a way to “acknowledge how far we’ve come” in developing “the infrastructure that helps entrepreneurs succeed.”

1Week KC activities focus on showcasing some of the area’s successful entrepreneurs and introducing people with startup goals to resources available to them.

Another highlight, starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday, gathers teams of developers, designers and marketers at Think Big Partners, 1800 Baltimore St., matches them with a concept and gives them 48 hours, ending Sunday, to turn the idea into a viable business venture. Projects will be presented and judged at the end. Observers are welcome to be “flies on the wall” to watch the entrepreneurial process.

At eight “co-working” offices throughout the area, the KC Coworking Alliance will offer free opportunities for entrepreneurs to test the workplace waters in various co-working locations. Signups are required at 1weekkc.com.

The co-working sites are Village Square, 4436 State Line Road, Kansas City, Kan.; Plexpod, 10000 Marshall Drive, Lenexa; Cowork Waldo, 7449 Broadway, Kansas City; Ennovation Center, 201 N. Forest Ave., #130, Independence; KCKCC Entrepreneurial Center, 6565 State Ave., Room Q101, Kansas City, Kan.; Blue Valley CAPS, 7501 W. 149th Terrace, Overland Park; Think Big Coworking, 1712 Main St., Kansas City; and OfficePort, 208 W. 19th St., Kansas City.

Events throughout the week include presentations by startups that have had successes. Presentations occur Tuesday through June 5. Details are at 1weekkc.com.

This story was originally published May 27, 2015 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Starting Friday, the art of the startup gets weeklong attention in Kansas City."