KCnext becomes KC Tech Council
Ryan Weber, president of the newly reorganized KC Tech Council, says advocating exclusively for the tech industry is a big reason his organization has moved out from under the Kansas City Area Development Council’s umbrella.
“Our goal is specific to one industry, and we want to advocate in behalf of the tech industry,” Weber said.
KC Tech Council previously was known as KCnext and was an affiliate of the development council, which has the broader goal of attracting jobs from all kinds of industries to the Kansas City area.
“We intend to be strong advocates about the benefits of tech assets that are important to our region — like Airbnb, Uber and Lyft,” Weber said Friday. “We want to keep those assets and be on the list of tech-friendly cities.”
As part of the change, the KC Tech Council has moved from the development council’s office space at Union Station to the Sprint Accelerator at 210 W. 19th Terrace in the Crossroads district.
The KC Tech Council is financed by member companies, large and small, in the Kansas City area.
Weber said the development council provided an important incubator for KCnext and gave it credibility during its first four years of existence. But he said there was confusion about what KCnext’s exact role was in terms of economic and talent development, so rebranding as a standalone organization should bring clarity.
Ashlie Hand, spokeswoman for the development council, said the separation was a natural evolution that allows the KC Tech Council “to be the voice of the tech community.”
The two organizations retain a mutual interest in recruiting tech talent, but the KC Tech Council is more focused on retaining and growing tech expertise at companies already in Kansas City. Weber said the local tech industry includes 3,500 employers and a workforce of about 68,000.
“Most people in Kansas City don’t know that,” Weber said. “They don’t realize that we have to grow our own talent to sustain our tech companies.”
Part of the KC Tech Council’s new role will be to foster more accelerated learning opportunities for workers to become tech employees, he said.
Diane Stafford: 816-234-4359, @kcstarstafford
This story was originally published May 20, 2016 at 2:47 PM with the headline "KCnext becomes KC Tech Council."