Meet Us in Kansas City
We’re well into our Startup Tour, visiting young companies so far in New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri. Today we head to Kansas City and the Kauffman Foundation, one of our sponsors. That I’ve been slow to post the promised tour videos or write about these companies comes down to air conditioning failure, driving 4,000 miles, air conditioning failure (again), swiping a tree and tearing-off our retractable steps, air conditioning failure (yet again), and hitting a pothole so deep that our exhaust system literally fell off in the road.
Ah, the RV lifestyle!
We also learned a great truth about Travelocity when booking hotel rooms for the camera crew: did you know that when they take your money and promise you three rooms for two nights in St. Louis that promise means nothing? Sometimes those rooms turn out not to exist and the only recourse to being homeless in the rain at 11:30 PM is getting your money back in 12 business days.
But the startup companies we’ve visited so far has each been a joy and a surprise in a different way. I’ll start writing about those tonight as we finally get to rest for a couple days in Kansas City.
Or if you can’t wait for that and happen to be from Kansas City, drop by the Kauffman Foundation this afternoon at 3PM and meet us all for ice cream in the parking lot. And if you think to, please bring an unwrapped toy that my kids can take to local hospitals and homeless shelters. That’s their startup venture this summer.
See you at 3PM.
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
4801 Rockhill Road Kansas City, MO 64110
(816) 932-1000
kauffman.org
BRING TOOLS AND RV PARTS — Enjoy some ice cream and hang with the Cringely’s.
Kansas City loved meeting you and your gorgeous family. That’s one good lookin’ start-up you have going on! “Boys, get in the RV and wash the batman bar off your hands.”
When you get back to Kansas City, we’d love to have you visit with the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program!
Becky Blades
Day job precludes hanging with the Cringely’s today. Any other hangings (poor choice of words
) happening this weekend?
I would love to join you Bob but I still have a full time job. Good luck on the tour!
Hi Bob:
I could not believe my eyes when I saw your unmistakable RV in the Belleville, Michigan Walmart parking lot last Saturday, July 17. I had no time to stop by and say hi, but it was a nice surprise to see you there.
Looking forward to reading about more news from “the road.”
Bob,
Where’s the list of venues? I hope that you didn’t visit south eastern PA already (had some toys ready to trade for those muffins).
Like Leahum I’m waiting for more “news from the road.” Enjoy the experience!
Are you going to post the remainder of schedule? Would be fun to stop by.
Make sure to make a trip to Oklahoma Joes BBQ while you are in KC…thank me later! Enjoy!!!
Where is the tour schedule posted? I’ve checked this site as well as http://startups.cringely.com/; but, I’m not seeing it.
kansas city is where i once became a man, and where i later had my manhood stolen away from me, like a black hole stealing the brilliance of a supernova.
I spotted the Cringely mobile on I-70 between St. Louis and Columbia. Even though you picked the hottest week of the year to visit, please enjoy our fine state.
Hello there…I’m sorry to hear about your difficulties in using our site. If there’s anything else you’d like to share, please drop me a line. Thanks.
At least Travelocity may give you a refund. Holiday Inn promised me a refund and never gave it. My mistake was to use a Visa DEBIT instead of a CREDIT card. With a CREDIT card, there is more that can be done to protect the consumer.
Sadly Bob, I did know that about Travelocity.
Nice to have a forum to blast it out though. You can get Travelocity to do something about a paid reservation, not actually reserving a room, and Ron White can do something about Sears not putting the lug nuts back on his tire.
“I told Sears I was gonna tell this story…until the lawsuit is settled. Hopefully, by this time next year, it’ll be renamed ‘Ron White’s Big Ass Damn Building.’”
-Ron White.
I’ve never trusted gnomes.
It was fun staying with you in St Louis. Deb and I are planning on making an RV park 10X better than the one on STL. Starting with grass. I would love to hear about your time on the road with the wife and kids: it would be a tremendous boost to those of us who would like to retire (3 years for me) and work from the road with young-uns…Even if I have to curtail aviation dreams…
yours, John
Hope you were able to take advantage of the Kansas City area’s many fine waist-expanding facilities, Lamar’s Doughnuts in particular.
Before they left STL we told them about Arthur Bryants and Gates. We tried to take them to Ted Drews here, but they resisted the temptation.
Ted Drews, the real place to get your kicks on Route 66. Happy Memories even though I was only in STL for a few years.
So…when will you be in Austin? I’ve looked for some (tentative) schedule, but couldn’t find one.
hey I loved you article and though, why not make a blog like yours on http://ikejhamb.com !!
It was really great meeting you in The Plaza. My parents and I have been such admirers of your work since I was young. I really appreciate the autograph for my parents on the Nerds 2.0.1 VHS (they fully understand modern technologies yet choose to resist most of them anyways) and I was very happy to speak with an individual that has been in the middle of so much tech history I have idolized and aspired to. As a computer science student, writer, and inventor I have always wanted to be a part of a business in the startup realm and it is work like yours that gives me hope to accomplish this someday.
I’ve been checking out your blog for awhile and I thought it was time to leave a comment to let you know how helpful everything is. Thank again and keep up the good work! 03:38
Wow! It’s a free for all. Inside jokes(?) from Paul Allen and Steve Dean. A couple of blog ads from You One Stop and A. D. D. Nerd. Repetitions of the same schedule questions.
So I was walking down the road one day when this tricked out RV passed me like a bat out of hell. There must have been a party going on inside because I heard this loud music and singing. As the rig sped away it appeared to hit a deep rut. Wow, there was smoke and sparks, along with a horrible racket. And that old RV must have jumped three feet in the air, at least.
Then some guy opened the door and stepped out cussing. “Well,” he said, “there’s not going to be any updates for a while.” I had no idea what he was talking about. So I just sat down in the shade to relax. Then I fell asleep, so I never found out what happened next. (Of course, it may have just been a dream.)
I think we’re being offered a challenge by Mr. Cringely. Lets watch for him. If anyone spots the RV, post a sighting report here. The thing is easy to spot. Watch for it in the RV parks, Walmart’s, and yes — gas stations.
I predict he will be on I-94 today.
Really good post here. I appreciate you sharing it, I look forward to reading more from you in future posts!
Thanks, Spammer. Too bad I can’t say the same to you.
Perhaps I kind of agree with part of your selection, I feel I must disagree with your first selection of a toy. I would suggest it maybe could have been left out on the list.
Damnit bob, I narrowly missed you. See you next time you’re in town!
Thanks for posting this info. I just want to let you know that I just check out your site and I find it very interesting and informative. I can’t wait to read lots of your posts. . . .
Good
