And the readers going to the Royals playoffs are …
October 7, 2015 | Bobby Burch
Four lucky Startland News readers are heading to see the Kansas City Royals take on the Houston Astros this Thursday and Friday.
From more than 300 contestants, a random number generator selected Tom Bliss and Marybeth Oliver as the winners, each of whom will bring one friend.
Bliss, who serves as executive director of the Missouri Association of Councils of Government, successfully rallied several friends to sign up to Startland, earning him Royals tickets in the referral contest.
“Are you serious? Wow!” Bliss said upon receiving the news that he won. “This is great news for me. … I’ve been a Royals fan since I was a kid — since back in the 1970s with Whitey (Herzog) and even before Whitey. This is so cool!”
A relatively new Royals fan, Oliver was selected randomly among hundreds of Startlanders to win the new subscriber contest.
“I won the tickets?” said Oliver, an executive assistant and intranet content editor at UnitedLex. “Oh my gosh — I never win anything! I’m so happy.”
Thank you to all those who participated in this contest. We look forward to continuing our service to the area community with coverage on its entrepreneurs and innovators.
Go Royals!

2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Entrepreneurs worry World Cup could leave small biz, communities on the losing team
FIFA’s summer games set to bring opportunity to Kansas City, but some fear a ripple effect that lasts far longer than the 2026 matches With each month that passes before Kansas City hosts games for the FIFA World Cup in June 2026, local small business owners are facing anxiety about the uncertain plays ahead —…
Real-life KC startup bros create virtual basement gaming vibes, turning once-isolated streaming into a familiar party
In today’s connected world, gaming with or against relative strangers — or “friends” a player only knows from a specific game or platform — is the norm. A Kansas City startup’s new streaming venture aims to recreate old school gaming-with-friends-in-the-basement vibe in the digital world. Available on Steam for free when its beta goes live…
KC’s college education gap is widening based on income; new effort targets barriers to dreams after high school
A just-announced initiative — backed by the Bloch Family Foundation — has a straightforward goal: put more college advisors in Kansas City Public Schools and develop a strategic plan to boost access to quality, affordable college education or career training after high school. The newly launched Kansas City College and Career Attainment Network (KCCAN) already…
Growth-fueled HR tech startup moving to Crossroads after announcing $9M defense contract
Jumping from a handful of employees to 15 over the past year has come with growing pains for Piccadilly Software Group, said co-founder Abe Dick, but the flip-side comes in the form of enhanced community presence, new office space, and greater opportunity for its signature product. The company this month announced its move to a…
