WATCH: Faces of KC entrepreneurship find strength in numbers, community resources
April 5, 2019 | Startland News Staff
A new video from KCSourceLink highlights the faces of Kansas City entrepreneurship — featuring makers, innovators, tech founders and social entrepreneurs — and their connection to the resource network and ecosystem infrastructure in Kansas City.
“It takes very special people to be able to put everything on the line,” says Reggie Gray, executive director of Black Privilege, a nonprofit movement rooted in a mobile app that connects black businesspeople and encourages spending within the black community. “Most of us will never make the big money, but it’s not always about the money — it’s about what fulfills us. It’s about being able to make a difference. Being able to build relationships.”
Gray is featured in the video alongside such well-known startup community members as Andy Kallenbach, founder of LendingStandard; Philip Hickman, founder of PlaBook; Kyle Smith, founder of Determination Incorporated; Jeff Rohr, founder of SquareOffs; and Matt Condon, founder of Bardavon Health Innovations — each sharing insights about the city and its support structure.
SquareOffs was named one of Startland’s Startups to Watch in 2019; Bardavon was one of the Startups to Watch in 2018.
“It’s not redefining Kansas City. It’s re-establishing who we are,” says Condon in the video. “We’re an entrepreneurial community. And we’re cowboys, and dreamers, and all the things that make that journey possible.”
The video was released to coincide with the publication of KCSourceLink’s We Create KC 2019 report. Click here to read more about the report’s findings.
Check out the video, which also includes commentary from Joe Vazquez, Vazquez Commercial Contracting; Marquita Miller, Five Star Tax & Business Solutions; Nick Ward-Bopp, Maker Village KC; CiCi Rojas, Tico Productions; Gigi Jones, Gigi’s Kale Chips; and Catina Taylor, Dreams KC.
Featured Business
2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Pawsitive impacts: Social venture aims to break generational poverty through pet grooming
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by The Kansas City Beacon, a member of the KC Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, and Missouri Business Alert. Click here to read the original story. In 2018, Ashley Stillings was living in Hope House, a homeless shelter in Lee’s…
These iconic hearts are blank now, but a parade of artists is set to bring the KC landmarks back in 2023
Molly Burd acknowledges she applied for the KC Parade of Hearts on a whim. A week before the deadline, the Kansas City artist and Hewn sewing shop production manager saw applications were being accepted for artists to design the big hearts art pieces for 2023. “Once I got an email saying that there were over…
Why a KC athletic apparel founder is rebranding his business after amassing 125K+ social following
Building a clothing brand over the past decade has been like watching an art piece come to life, said Ryan Tanner Mueller, the man behind one of Kansas City’s most quietly successful apparel ventures. “I’ve always been influenced by a brutalist, minimalist-blend of streetwear and sportswear. Around the time we launched, the fashion trends were…
Her book helps kids understand football; how this 9-year-old scored her first literary field goal
Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. For more stories like this one, subscribe to Up To Date on Spotify. Burkley Hoover has published her first book at the…