This week, technology leaders from across Kansas gathered in Wichita for the Ad Astra Technology Summit, one of the state’s premier events focused on innovation, emerging technologies, workforce development, and the future of the Kansas tech ecosystem. The annual summit brings together entrepreneurs, business leaders, educators, policymakers, and technology professionals to explore the trends shaping…
Get acquainted with KCTC member Publicis Sapient and their Senior Director, Engagement Lead Lukasz Karapuda. ABOUT PUBLICIS SAPIENT 1. Give us your organization’s quick origin story. Publicis Sapient began as Sapient, founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1990. Unlike other consulting firms at the time, they both advised on solutions and implemented them, and based compensation…
Get acquainted with KCTC member Archia and their Co-Founder and CEO, Gharib Gharibi. ABOUT ARCHIA 1. Give us your organization’s quick origin story. Archia was founded in Kansas City by Gharib Gharibi (CEO) and Andrew Rademacher (CTO), who previously worked together at TripleBlind, a privacy-preserving AI startup acquired in 2024. After watching the world’s top…
Get acquainted with KCTC member Lever1 and their Director of Business Development, Terry Siebes. ABOUT LEVER1 1. Give us your organization’s quick origin story. In 2012 Erica Brune was the Director of Operations and Partner of Blue Chair LLC. Her previous experiences had shown her the value of PEO’s and with the support of her…
Get acquainted with KCTC member Caymus Partners and their Co-Founder, Darci Crow. ABOUT CAYMUS PARTNERS 1. Give us your organization’s quick origin story. Caymus Partners was founded by two women in the recruiting industry, who worked together at previous firms and saw an opportunity to build something meaningful of their own from the ground up. …
April 2026 | Policy & Advocacy Earlier this month, KC Tech Council led a delegation of Kansas City technology leaders to Washington, D.C. for our annual DC Fly-In in partnership with TECNA, the Technology Councils of North America. Over two days, our team met with Senate and Congressional offices from Missouri and Kansas, participated in national…
Get acquainted with KCTC member VanTrust Real Estate and their Vice President of Science and Technology, Scott Hall. ABOUT VANTRUST REAL ESTATE 1. Give us your organization’s quick origin story. Our company was formed out of a partnership between our CEO, Dave Harrison, and Kansas City business icon Cecil Van Tuyl. Over the years, that…
As we move through the 2026 legislative sessions in Kansas and Missouri, the KC Tech Council continues to monitor and engage on legislation with implications for our region’s tech ecosystem. Below is a summary of key issues and actions at the state and federal levels. Please reach out to Christine Murray at christine@kctechcouncil.com if you have issues…
Kansas City, Missouri: Data Center Ordinance Update Kansas City’s Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee passed Ordinance 251031 out of committee on January 14. The ordinance reclassifies data centers from commercial to industrial use and limits them to certain zoning districts. Most data centers will now require City Council approval through a development plan process and must meet…
Get acquainted with KCTC member Innovative Mechanical Concepts and their CEO, Geoff Kudlacz. ABOUT INNOVATIVE MECHANICAL CONCEPTS 1. Give us your organization’s quick origin story. Started back in 2005 and now led by Geoff Kudlacz, Innovative Mechanical Concepts supports environments where failure isn’t an option—data centers, healthcare, industrial facilities, and complex commercial buildings. Our background…
Kansas City, Mo. — The KC Tech Council (KCTC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Terry Owens to its Board of Directors. Owens serves as Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Senior Lead for Digital Transformation at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, where he leads the organization’s five-year information technology and cybersecurity strategy. His responsibilities…
New Era for Organization Starts With New Logo, Updated Website and Relocated Headquarters KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Dec. 3, 2025) – KC Tech Council (KCTC) is proud to announce a relaunch of the tech not-for-profit member organization’s identity with a refreshed look and feel for the overall brand, a modernized website and an upcoming move to…