It Takes a Village & Broadband to Raise a Startup

Published: May 28, 2013, 2 p.m.

63% of participants in a national survey have seen communities use broadband to harness home-based businesses into a economic engine, or believe strongly that communities can do this. Gigabit Nation goes to Kansas City to spotlight this dynamic at work.\xa0\n Kansas City Startup Village (KCSV) participants give listeners first-hand details on how a booming entrepreneurial movement has taken root and is expanding thanks to Google Fiber. They offer valuable lessons to other communities that want to do likewise. Today's guests are:\n *\xa0 Adam Arredondo and Matthew Marcus, co-founders of Local Ruckus and KCSV Co-Leaders;\n *\xa0 Mike Demarais, Co-Founder, Handprint\n *\xa0 Ben Barreth, founder of the Homes for Hackers program\n *\xa0 Brittain Kovac, staff member of startup Leap2 and Event Manager for KCSV; and\n *\xa0 Jonny Kot, community leader and founder of Tech-Pointer.\n Our guests have complementary and contrasting viewpoints on:\n *\xa0 the role of Google Fiber in driving entrepreneurship in Kansas City\n *\xa0 how communities can encourage and support startups\n *\xa0 sustaining and expanding entrepreneur support programs.\n Listeners can download a copy of the survey analysis report that addresses the increase of home-based businesses and other economic outcomes broadband influences.