Back2KC Kansas City Reunion: Reconnect at Our Annual Event

Kick Off Your Back2KC Experience

Slicing Pie in KC: Happy Hour

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 | 3:00 PM

Join founders, entrepreneurs, and members of Kansas City’s business community at Summit52 for a conversation on Slicing Pie, a dynamic approach to dividing founder equity as teams and companies grow.

LEARN MORE + REGISTER →

Welcome to KC Rooftop Happy Hour

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 | 4:00 PM

Join fellow Back2KC attendees and members of the Kansas City community at Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City for an informal rooftop gathering before Friday’s Homecoming.

Reconnect, make a few introductions, and start finding your people.

LEARN MORE + REGISTER →

Back2KC Agenda

Friday, September 18, 2026

9th Annual Back2KC Homecoming

CPKC Stadium | Kansas City, Missouri

10:00 AM | Welcome to Back2KC

Grab a coffee, find some familiar faces, meet a few new ones, and settle in for a day built around connection.

10:30 AM | Opening Remarks

Welcome to the 9th Annual Back2KC Homecoming.

10:40 AM | Featured Keynote

A Special Conversation with Dr. Alejandro Quiroga
President & CEO, Children’s Mercy Kansas City

11:00 AM | Beyond the Game: How Sports Is Reshaping Kansas City’s Economy

Featuring Neal Sharma, Jeremy McDowell, and Jonathan Knecht.

Moderated by Jessica Powell.

11:50 AM | The Kansas City Shift: What’s Changing and Why It Matters

Featuring Melissa Roberts Chapman and William Highsmith

Moderated by Jonathan Haas.

12:15 PM | Come Back. Build Forward.

Forging the Future

A special spotlight on what happens after you find your people in Kansas City and the role all of us can play in building what comes next.

Featuring Adam Larson, Stephanie Swanson, Dr. Brandy Archie, Craig Moore, and Rachelle Hofstetter.

12:30 PM | Lunch + Connections

Grab lunch and, more importantly, find your people.

Use this time to meet fellow attendees, reconnect with the Kansas City community, and continue conversations sparked throughout the morning.

1:00 PM | Choose Your Conversation: Back2KC Breakouts

Use this time to meet fellow attendees, reconnect with the Kansas City community, and continue conversations sparked throughout the morning.

The best connections often happen in smaller rooms.

Choose from interactive conversations focused on the opportunities, challenges, and people shaping Kansas City. Expect candid discussion, useful connections, and participation—not presentations.

2:00 PM | KC Leader Spotlight

A special spotlight featuring a Kansas City leader helping shape what comes next.

2:15 PM | AI in the Heartland: What’s Real, What’s Next, and Why KC Matters

Founders, operators, and industry leaders will explore how artificial intelligence is being used today, where the biggest opportunities are emerging, and what Kansas City needs to do to compete—and lead—in the next wave of innovation.

Featuring Ryan Shreve, Usman Wajid, Anand Arivukkarasu, and Julia Kanter.

Moderated by Gabriel Riekhof.

2:45 PM | Closing Remarks

Four special announcements and one challenge before we leave CPKC Stadium: take the introductions, ideas, and relationships from Back2KC and do something with them.

3:00–6:00 PM | Back2KC Happy Hour

The programming may be over, but the connecting isn’t.

Join fellow attendees, speakers, sponsors, founders, investors, and KC connectors for the official Back2KC Happy Hour at Two Birds, One Stone.

Why Back2KC Exists

People leave Kansas City to build careers, pursue new opportunities and create lives in other places. But many remain connected to the city and eventually begin wondering what a return could look like.

The challenge is often knowing where to start...

Back2KC exists to make that first step easier.

We connect former Kansas Citians with the employers, founders, investors and civic leaders building what comes next in the region.

Because sometimes one conversation can open the door to a new job, a new partnership, an investment opportunity or a path back home.

Who is this for?

Returning Talent

Business and Investment Leaders

Former Kansas Citians, alumni and professionals exploring their next career, connection or move.

Business and Investment Leaders

Founders, entrepreneurs, investors and employers looking to hire, grow, invest and build in Kansas City.

Civic and Community Champions

Business and Investment Leaders

Civic and Community Champions

Leaders and connectors helping people find opportunities, relationships and a stronger sense of belonging in the region.

Inside the Back2KC experience

Back2KC is Kansas City’s annual homecoming for former Kansas Citians and alumni reconnecting with the region’s innovation ecosystem, business momentum, and community leaders.

This is more than an annual event. It is a relationship-driven platform for return migration, talent attraction, ecosystem connectivity, and long-term civic investment.

Attendees leave with new introductions, deeper context on KC’s growth, and clear pathways to engage through careers, investment, mentorship, partnerships, and relocation.

A curated half-day designed for high-signal conversations and meaningful connection.

Programming includes:

Founder and investor conversations
Kansas City growth stories
Industry and innovation panels
Curated networking and ecosystem introductions
Leadership conversations with regional decision-makers
Dedicated time for relationship building

Built for reconnection, momentum, and access.

Unite With Home.

Back2KC

5,000 +

5,000 +

5,000 +

125+

5,000 +

5,000 +

58

5,000 +

58

Kansas City is calling you back.

Event Information

Kick Off Your Back2KC Experience

Slicing Pie in KC: Happy Hour

Welcome to KC Rooftop Happy Hour

Back2KC Agenda

Secure your ticket

“It took me years to find my people in KC. Back2KC exists so others don't have to wait that long.”

Why Back2KC Exists

Who is this for?

Returning Talent

Business and Investment Leaders

Business and Investment Leaders

Business and Investment Leaders

Business and Investment Leaders

Business and Investment Leaders

Civic and Community Champions

Business and Investment Leaders

Civic and Community Champions

Inside the Back2KC experience

Ready to join the community?

Your next Kansas City connection starts here.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

BACK2KC 2026 Sponsors

Unite With Home.

Back2KC

5,000 +

5,000 +

5,000 +

125+

5,000 +

5,000 +

58

5,000 +

58

Kansas City is calling you back.

Event Information

Kick Off Your Back2KC Experience

Slicing Pie in KC: Happy Hour

Welcome to KC Rooftop Happy Hour

Back2KC Agenda

Secure your ticket

“It took me years to find my people in KC. Back2KC exists so others don't have to wait that long.”

Why Back2KC Exists

Who is this for?

Returning Talent

Business and Investment Leaders

Business and Investment Leaders

Business and Investment Leaders

Business and Investment Leaders

Business and Investment Leaders

Civic and Community Champions

Business and Investment Leaders

Civic and Community Champions

Inside the Back2KC experience

Ready to join the community?

Your next Kansas City connection starts here.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

BACK2KC 2026 Sponsors

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