Startland News wins 2017 EDCKC Cornerstone award
May 2, 2017 | Bobby Burch
Thanks to a talented team and supportive community, I’m proud to announce that Startland News has won a 2017 Cornerstone Award.
Presented by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City for 30 years, the Cornerstone Awards recognize people, projects, businesses, programs, initiatives and events that drive economic development and growth in Kansas City.
On behalf of the Startland team and our founding partner, Affinity Enterprise Group, I’m humbled and thrilled we earned this award alongside such esteemed institutions as Boulevard Brewing Co., Virgin Mobile, Burns & McDonnell and others. Check out the full list of winners here. If you’re so inclined, you can vote for Startland News in the EDCKC’s People’s Choice Award.
It’s been nearly two years to the day — we launched May 4, 2015 — that Startland began its vision to become the local leader in telling stories on Kansas City’s entrepreneurial and innovation-inspired community.
Thank you to everyone who’s been a part of this journey, including Meghan LeVota, Adam Arredondo, Jordan EuDaly, Matthew Marcus, Andrea Essner, Kat Hungerford and Abby Tillman. Thank you also to our partners, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Polsinelli, the Kansas City Startup Foundation, our fantastic tech team, Rivet Creative, and our advisory board.
A special note of gratitude is for two unheralded champions of Kansas City entrepreneurship that many of you likely do not know. Mike Wrenn and Becky Cole both have believed in the vision of Startland News since its inception in early 2015. Without their generous support and entrepreneurial enthusiasm, there wouldn’t be a Startland News. Thank you, Mike and Becky, for your confidence, trust and willingness to take a risk on the crazy idea that is Startland News.
Last but not least, thank you, Kansas City! We’ve enjoyed significant and sustained readership growth in and outside of Kansas City during the last two years thanks to our fantastic readers. We appreciate you taking the time to read and share Kansas City stories. As always, we welcome your feedback on how we can improve or add value to your life.
Sincerely,
Bobby Burch
Featured Business

2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Panel: Teachers can’t just ‘fail fast’ with students, but plugging entrepreneurship into classrooms builds agility in both
As someone with a hand in both education and entrepreneurship, Tiffany Dixon recognizes that a gap between the two is limiting potential in Kansas City schools. “There is an ecosystem that teachers don’t realize exists around their classroom,” she explained during a “Youth: Our Future Entrepreneurs” panel discussion for Global Entrepreneurship Week – Kansas City.…
VIDEO: How KC-built Engenious Design is scaling with stealth to atmospheric heights
Editor’s note: Engenious Design is a financial supporter of Startland News. This video feature was produced through a paid partnership. From life-saving medical devices to unexpected innovations taking orbit, Engenious Design — a white label manufacturing and design firm headquartered in Prairie Village — might be Kansas City’s best-kept success story, teased Chris Justice, principal…
City zoning change melts barriers for artisanal makers building businesses in KCMO
Editor’s note: KC BizCare is a financial supporter of Startland News. This story was produced through a paid partnership. Birdie Hansen started making candles as a hobby during the pandemic, and the business quickly grew to a level beyond what she and her husband David’s home in Midtown could accommodate. Scaling operations for Effing Candle…
VC summit: It’s a great place to ‘keep your head down and build’ — but is ‘KC nice’ slowing potential?
Building a startup in Kansas City comes with a mix of unique benefits and challenges, said serial entrepreneurs Riddhiman Das and Toby Rush, who both agreed the local ecosystem is enjoying “significant” momentum — while pushing the startup scene to be “more aggressive and more brutally honest.” “When you’re on an exponential growth curve, whenever…
