Startland News wins 2017 EDCKC Cornerstone award

May 2, 2017  |  Bobby Burch

Startland News Poster

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

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

2017 Startups to Watch

    stats here

    Related Posts on Startland News

    Thank a community leader; Nominate them to win $50,000

    By Tommy Felts | July 23, 2025

    Editor’s note: The following is a paid message from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Allison Greenwood Bajracharya, a fourth-generation Kansas Citian, is chief impact and strategy officer for the Kauffman Foundation. In communities around the country, people are doing uncommon things in the most common places — parks, food pantries, classrooms, soccer fields, and church…

    Crossroads distillery asks KC to make a toast in honor of founder lost in weekend motorcycle wreck

    By Tommy Felts | July 22, 2025

    Update: A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support the family of the late Jeff Evans. Click here to learn more or to donate.  With doors temporarily closed early this week (July 21-22) to mourn the loss of co-founder Jeff Evans, the team behind Mean Mule Distilling is asking its community to “grieve with us,…

    KC govtech startup: You shouldn’t have to know how local government works to get answers (or make impact)

    By Tommy Felts | July 22, 2025

    Even a ripple can make waves, said Mitch Mabrey, an exited cleantech founder whose new cause finds him on a mission to ensure that the voices of residents from all walks of life are more broadly heard — and answered — by their government officials. Resonus, his Kansas City-based political information platform is designed to…

    Northland BBQ spot opens, building flavors, menu from side hustle to storefront

    By Tommy Felts | July 22, 2025

    After a decade-long journey building his BBQ business — from tailgates to a just-opened brick-and-mortar restaurant — Wardell Hooks Jr. would only change one thing along the way: He’d have quit his full-time job sooner. “My thing is the joy,” said Hooks, founder of Off the Hook BBQ, describing the feeling of accomplishment from his…