Denver-based solopreneur and Kansas City native Adam Griffin has teamed up with KC-based startup accelerator Think Big Partners to launch a new health and fitness application known as Bodeefit on the Windows 8 platform. Bodeefit is a free application that sends daily Crossfit-inspired workouts, healthy Paleo-inspired recipes and tips to develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Bodeefit solves the problem that many fitness enthusiasts have been looking for—an easy-to use, free application that allows workouts in any area, whether at the gym or at home, combined with a simple nutrition guide. The app sends Crossfit and bootcamp-style workouts to a user’s email Inbox or mobile phone every morning and does not require gym membership or workout equipment. Unlike many apps on the market today, Bodeefit eliminates all barriers to fitness including equipment, time, workout education, gym availability and even motivation.

“I have always had this belief that there are too many barriers to people and their fitness,” says Bodeefit founder, Adam Griffin. “Gym costs, trainer fees, confidence barriers, time in the day. Bodeefit was created to remove those barriers.”

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KANSAS CITY, MO—June 14, 2012—Kansas City-based startup accelerator Think Big Partners has opened the application window for its first-ever Think Big Accelerator class, a 14-week program that will aid tech-focused, early-stage startups and entrepreneurs in launching a business faster, stronger and smarter this September.

With a team made up of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and founders of startup companies, Think Big Partners’ accelerator program combines lessons and observations from other successful programs across the nation to create a model that allows experienced and budding entrepreneurs to build new startups.  Think Big Accelerator sets itself apart, however, by allowing these entrepreneurs to maintain life outside of their businesses while participating in the program.

“We have studied, observed and finally created our own accelerator model that we think will work better for entrepreneurs who want to remain dedicated to their families and other obligations while still participating in the program,” says Herb Sih, co-founder and managing partner of Think Big Partners.

In order to facilitate this idea, the first class of Think Big Accelerator allows entrepreneurs to arrive ready to work on Monday and leave on Thursday night during the 14-week program.  This model will let traveling entrepreneurs return home on the weekends to spend time with family and manage other responsibilities.

“We have studied what can be done in a short period of time in the startup world,” says Tyler Prochnow, co-founder and senior partner at Think Big Partners.  “After studying the success that startups have in sprint programs like Startup Weekend, Startup Bus and hackathons, we created Think Big Accelerator’s model for the fast-paced, highly-focused entrepreneur.”

“We are amazed at what can be done in a short amount of time,” says Sih.  “With important milestones and deadlines in place, we believe that the entrepreneur participating in Think Big Accelerator will be able to maintain a work-life balance and recognize the opportunity to reenergize, refresh, refocus and reflect at the end of each week by connecting with family when returning home.  It’s a contrary belief, but we think that stepping away from a business actually allows entrepreneurs to work smarter, faster.”

Entrepreneurs accepted into the program will receive what Sih refers to as “rockstar treatment” while building their businesses in Kansas City.  Think Big Accelerator has assembled the ingredients for participating entrepreneurs to come to Kansas City and work on their businesses comfortably.  The accelerator will provide custom-tailored key elements for the entrepreneur such as real estate, essential service providers, dry-cleaning, restaurant specials, living arrangements, technology, office space and more.  Kansas City businesses interested in providing discounted services for Think Big Accelerator entrepreneurs are encouraged to contact Think Big Partners at (816) 842-5244.

In addition, those accepted into the accelerator program will partake in field trips to many Kansas City locations for inspiration, education, collaboration and ideation.

Think Big Accelerator is looking for five to ten technology-based startups (especially businesses with a focus in consumer-facing services, software, web services, apps, etc.) to participate in the program.

Entrepreneurs will participate in the 14-week program Monday-Thursday with the goal of building a successful startup and finally pitching to investors at the end of the program on two separate demo days—one traditional, and one utilizing a state-of-the-art technology.

The application window for Think Big Accelerator will be open June 15, 2012 until August 10, 2012.  Think Big Partners’ first class will start on September 10, 2012 and finish up with graduation and demo days during the week of December 10, 2012.

Think Big Accelerator will take 6-8% equity in participating companies with an $18,000-$24,000 investment.  Additionally, there will be an alternative track for those who are not interested in funding but would like to participate in the program.

To learn more about Think Big Accelerator, please visit www.thinkbigpartners.com/accelerator.

About Think Big Partners
Think Big Partners is an early-stage startup accelerator and mentorship-based collaborative network located in Kansas City, Missouri. Think Big Partners has successfully launched or grown over 150 successful companies with its creation of coworking spaces (bizperc), entrepreneurial conferences (Think Big Kansas City and iKC), essential services, startup resources and funding (Think Big Ventures). To learn more about Think Big Partners, please visit www.thinkbigpartners.com.
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Think Big Ventures I, the newly launched venture capital fund from Think Big Partners, has announced its first investment in Kansas-City based startup, EyeVerify.

Kansas City, MO (PRWEB) May 24, 2012

Think Big Partners, a Kansas City based early-stage business incubator and technology-focused startup accelerator, announced the launch of its first venture fund, Think Big Ventures I, along with its first venture investment, EyeVerify.

Think Big Ventures I will primarily focus on early-stage, technology-focused web services, apps, software and related opportunities. The fund will also have a preference for highly scalable business models that involve the consumer, established intellectual property, experienced management teams and strong addressable market potential.

With the first close of the fund, Think Big Partners is pleased to announce its first investment in Kansas City-based startup, EyeVerify. EyeVerify is a software startup that brings to market an authentication module that utilizes cameras on mobile devices to take images of an eye to use as a unique biometric identifier. The software allows mobile users to capture an image of their eye in the place of entering a password to access their mobile phone. Toby Rush, founder and CEO of EyeVerify, is a serial entrepreneur and graduate of the PIPELINE Entrepreneurial Immersion Program.

“The Think Big Ventures investment is one with a lot of smart, experienced people involved,” said Toby Rush, founder and CEO of EyeVerify. “This fund will allow us to network and connect with others on a much higher level. Think Big Ventures has extra impact behind it simply because of the people involved, their expertise and experience as founders.”

Think Big Ventures managers Herb Sih and Tyler Prochnow will manage the fund and will utilize an investment committee process to determine investment decisions. The fund will draw benefit from relationships previously established by Think Big Partners, in addition to searching for the right startup companies across the nation, especially the Midwest.

“We believe we have something unique to offer today’s smart startup. Smart money comes in many forms,” said Tyler Prochnow, senior partner at Think Big Partners. “Our network of advisors, mentors and strategic partners, combined with our milestone-based, dosed capital mentality, aligns everyone’s interests while still allowing us to remain objective and highly disciplined in execution.”

About Think Big Ventures 
Think Big Ventures is an early-stage, technology-focused venture fund that makes milestone-based investments into web services, apps, software and related opportunities. Think Big Ventures has a strong preference for capital-efficient companies with established intellectual property, a strong market opportunity and experienced management teams.

About Think Big Partners 
Think Big Partners is an early-stage startup accelerator and mentorship-based collaborative network located in Kansas City, Missouri. Think Big Partners has successfully launched or grown over 100 companies with its creation of coworking spaces, entrepreneurial conferences, essential services, startup resources and more. To learn more about Think Big Partners, please visit http://www.thinkbigpartners.com.

iKC announces agenda, speakers, keynote address, exhibit opportunities and Fire Up pitches for June 20 conference.

iKC, the premier conference on innovation and entrepreneurship, was born out of a merger between two successful events - the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce's Innovation Conference and Think Big Partners' Think Big Kansas City Conference. This year, the two organizations have teamed up to bring Kansas City one of the country's biggest and best innovation and entrepreneurship conferences.

iKC 2012 will take place on June 20 at the H&R Block World Headquarters in downtown Kansas City. It is a day-long event that will feature exhibits, breakout sessions, expert speakers, Fire Up pitches, Inspire Talks, networking opportunities, and an after-party at the Kansas City Power & Light District.

The Chamber and Think Big Partners invite budding entrepreneurs, startups, students, mid-size businesses, or large corporations who are looking to spark innovation, generate ideas, foster creativity, and make new connections to attend this year's conference.

"As we've moved forward toward The Chamber's Big 5 goal of making Kansas City 'America's most entrepreneurial city,' we've realized we need to foster an ecosystem and a culture that supports our local entrepreneurs," said Jim Heeter, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. "We do that by providing events and resources like iKC. By joining forces with Think Big Partners, we're taking the conversation on innovation to a whole new level."

"We look forward to co-hosting iKC in order to blur the line between innovation and entrepreneurship and to spark the conversations that lead to taking action," said Herb Sih, managing partner of Think Big Partners. "Ultimately, we hope this conference will further reinforce Kansas City as a place where entrepreneurs and innovators can collaborate, launch successful ventures, and create sustainable jobs for the future."

The keynote address will feature Dr. Michael E Raynor who will present, "The Innovator's Manifesto: Deliberate Disruption for Breakthrough Growth." The keynote address will prove that a strategic approach to innovation is systematically more successful. As a director with Deloitte Consulting LLP, Raynor works with leading companies from a range of industries around the world. Additionally, Raynor has written three books on innovation and his most recent, The Innovator's Manifesto, demonstrates that Raynor's unique take on innovation can actually improve the ability to predict accurately which innovations will be successful.

The conference will also feature a number of breakout sessions hosted by various local experts and entrepreneurs on topics such as creating strategic partnerships, how to create the perfect pitch, the communication secrets of Steve Jobs, the power of crowd-based marketing, and more. Visit www.sparkinginnovation.org/agenda to view a complete schedule of breakout sessions.

A unique feature of iKC will be Kansas City's first Fearless Innovators' and Ruthless Entrepreneurs' Unconventional Pitch - "Fire Up" for short. With only fifteen seconds per presentation slide, Fire Up presentations will put entrepreneurs in a hot seat and will force them to be concise, to think on their feet and to spark the interest of the crowd. Watch an example of a Fire Up pitch here. To participate in a Fire Up pitch, visit the Fire Up page.

This year, iKC is offering two types of exhibit booths for those interested in showing off a company, event, or idea. To learn more about the exhibition opportunities, download the exhibit packet.

Early bird tickets for iKC are on sale now and range from $60 - $109. After May 23, ticket prices increase to $75 - $189.

iKC is one of the many events happening during One Week KC on June 18-26, 2012. One Week KC is a consolidation of the region's large and grassroots events that help educate, inspire, encourage, and celebrate entrepreneurship in Kansas City's quest to become "America's most entrepreneurial city." One Week events include tech meetups, classrooms, conferences, networking, speakers, parties, and more. Learn more at www.oneweekkc.com.

iKC is sponsored by Master Your Card Missouri, H&R Block, Inboun, the Kansas City Business Journal, KC Business Magazine, Hovey Williams, and The Aladdin Holiday Inn Hotel. 
For more information on iKC, event updates, and tickets, visit the event site sparkinginnovation.org, or contact Katie Daily at (816) 374-5472.

About the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is the area's oldest and only regional chamber of commerce, serving both Kansas and Missouri companies throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area. Founded in 1887, 2,500 companies and organizations belong to The Chamber, including most of the community's major employers.

The Chamber's mission is twofold: to provide responsive and committed leadership that builds a vibrant and thriving community and to assist members in growing businesses. For more information, visit www.kcchamber.com.

About Think Big Partners

Think Big Partners is an early-stage startup accelerator and mentorship-based collaborative network located in Kansas City, Missouri. Think Big Partners has successfully launched or grown over 100 successful companies with its creation of coworking spaces, entrepreneurial conferences, essential services, startup resources and funding. To learn more about Think Big Partners, please visit www.thinkbigpartners.com.

Kansas City-based startup accelerator and business incubator Think Big Partners and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce have announced Master Your Card Missouri as the presenting sponsor for the June 20th innovation and entrepreneurship conference known as iKC.

Master Your Card Missouri is a public education campaign from MasterCard which helps consumers, small businesses and governments get more from their money by using prepaid, debit and credit cards to their advantage. Master Your Card Missouri uses its innovative technology to run an electronic payment network that delivers instantaneous, affordable and safe transactions through cards.

The Master Your Card Missouri program is an entrepreneurial approach to the world of payment that aligns with the message that iKC will send this spring. The program allows for consumers, small businesses and governments to improve awareness of financial inclusion, awareness of financial literacy, negotiation tactics, knowledge of electronic payment processes and technical assistance.

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