News

BATS Designates Next CEO as Ratterman Prepares for Move to Chairman

Joe Ratterman, who built BATS Global Markets into the second-largest equities trading platform in the U.S., is turning the reins of chief executive officer over to Chris Concannon, who joined the company in December. The effective date for that transition… more

Missouri, Kansas Cited for Barriers to Entry Among Low-Income Entrepreneurs

Kansas City may want to think of itself as the Entrepreneurial Capital of America, but if it is, it's an oasis in a two-state desert of regulations that stifle entrepreneurship among the poor. That's according to a new report assessing conditions… more

UMKC Rankings Issue Prompts Another Resignation

Less than a week after the resignation of the top official embroiled in the controversy over the Bloch School of Management's rankings for entrepreneurial education, a second faculty member has resigned. UMKC announced this afternoon that John Norton had resigned as associate… more

AT&T Flips the Switch on Gigabit Internet Service in Kansas City

Competition for Internet service at speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second in the Kansas City area has ratcheted up with today's launch of GigaPower by AT&T. The telecom giant announced this afternoon that service has begun in various… more

2015 Legal Industry Outlook

The Legal Perspective on Regional Job Growth Those who might want a panoramic view of the next Plaza lighting ceremony would do well to cozy up to the attorneys at Husch Blackwell, the hosts of this year’s Legal Industry Outlook… more

Swinging the Patent Litigation Pendulum to the Defense

Abusive patent litigation has become a major problem for CEOs and corporate counsel from America’s biggest corporations to the smallest start-ups. One of the biggest problems facing companies right now is the threat from Patent Assertion Entities, or “Patent Trolls,”… more

Are You Ready to Move Past the Roadblocks?

A proper, pointed, precise, purposeful response can help you shorten the sales cycle. How do you respond to your customer’s words and barriers? The answer is: CAREFULLY, TRUTHFULLY, and with AUTHORITY. Whether it’s a bold statement in response to a… more

Around the Region

FEBRUARY   19 | Thursday "Graduate Assistance Fund Award Celebration"A reception celebrating the 2015 GAF recipients, the donors and the inaugural class of the Starr Women’s Hall of Fame at Grand Street Café, the time to be determined.816-235-2452 | www.umkcwc.org… more

In The News: Feb 2015

Missouri Buchanan County Training Solutions StudiedIn a county with one of the state’s lowest unemployment rates—4.2 percent in December—business leaders in St. Joseph are exploring ways to provide additional work-force training, pointing to a shortage of qualified candidates in the… more

What’s With The Star’s Brownback Fetish?

In late January, as I commence writing this column, I enter “Sam Brownback” in the search function on The Kansas City Star’s Web site and review the articles or editorials on Kansas budget issues. Incredibly, 10 have been posted within… more