JOPLIN, Mo. – The 4-State area may not be Silicon Valley but the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce is convinced it has what it takes to be a tech leader.

“We have a great story to tell here in Southwest Missouri. We’re a technical hub just like anybody else on the coast and people are learning that, but we want to make sure that we tell that story,” said Doug Hunt, the chamber’s director of entrepreneurship.

And the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce believes a good way to tell that story is by kicking off an annual innovation and technology summit which they did Friday at Joplin’s James River Church.

The summit brought together local technology-related businesses, let them hear from cybersecurity experts, and gave them a chance to discuss other tech issues including e-commerce and digital workforce development.

“I think it’s really key that we work to retain the current tech talent that we have but also really work to figure out how we develop future tech talent,” said keynote speaker and datacenter infrastructure expert Simoriah Stogner.

Cybersecurity was a major theme of the summit, and many local businesses were there making sure they aren’t the next ransomware victim. The owners of Hunt’s Mobile Detailing in Joplin say making sure their customers’ data is as safe as possible was a big reason for them attending.

“We do have a very large clientele. We use online for almost everything because everyone uses their phone to book something. They give us calls and we keep an extensive database on people’s phone numbers, email addresses, everything, so learning about data security has helped us out on where we can implement some measures and keep them safe,” said Hunt’s Mobile Detailing co-owner Jakob Way.

This technology summit was an inaugural event, and the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce has already scheduled the next one for November 3 & 4th, 2022.

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