Letter from the editor: Every story starts somewhere
October 6, 2021 | Tommy Felts
Editor’s note: The following letter from Startland News’ editor in chief kicks off Startland News’ eight-week donor campaign seeking reader support for the nonprofit newsroom. Click here to donate.
Every story starts somewhere — and today we’re asking for your help to start more.
Tommy Felts, Editor in Chief, Startland News
Startland News is continuing its mission in 2022 to elevate bold, untold stories of Kansas City startups, entrepreneurs, makers, creatives, and risk-takers.
Our goal: raise $100,000 from readers and supporters to further power the community-focused, solutions-based journalism you’ve come to love and expect from us over the past 6.5 years.
The eight-week campaign went live Tuesday — National News Engagement Day — and runs through Giving Tuesday on Nov. 30. In the coming days and weeks, we’ll reveal exclusive giveaways and offers for donors — but don’t worry, you can still give today and be eligible for these exciting rewards.
We’re happy to announce that we’ve already secured $20,000 in committed matching dollars from early donors. The first comes from KCRise Fund, a Kansas City venture capital firm, which pledged $10,000 toward our goal.
“We hope you will consider giving a gift of any dollar amount to help us support this great organization and their mission of supporting entrepreneurial efforts and the design thinking mindset that they’ve done an amazing job of growing in our region,” said Darcy Howe, founder and managing director of KCRise Fund, who pledged the match funds alongside Ed Frindt, general partner, and Caroline VanDeusen, principal.
We’ll unmask additional match donors as the campaign rolls on.
Watch a testimonial video from KCRise Fund below, then keep reading.
Startland News stories often are the start of an entrepreneur’s media story — frequently serving as the first piece of local news that covers their startup, small business, non-profit, project, or idea. With about 400 stories already published this year, that makes us one of the metro’s leading discovery platforms for new and innovative ideas and a key resource for the talented people making them a reality.
As a program of Startland — a 501(c)3 non-profit community-building organization that seeks to unlock the starter in everyone — our newsroom’s mission goes far beyond cheerleading.
By shining a spotlight on these individuals and businesses (along with their challenges, setbacks and even failures), we aim to make entrepreneurship more approachable and accessible, exposing untapped potential in Kansas City and beyond.
It all starts somewhere. And today it can start with you.
Tommy Felts,
Editor in Chief,
Startland News
2021 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Five insights from KCSourceLink’s annual review of KC entrepreneurship
A recent report dissected a deluge of details on Kansas City entrepreneurship, analyzing its demographics, talent pipeline, capital sources and more. And the prognosis, according to entrepreneurial resource hub KCSourceLink? Kansas City is making steady progress toward its goal to become one of the United States’ most entrepreneurial cities. “We are committed to supporting the…
Barbecue tech startup fires up sales in Kansas City
Kansas City is firing up the grills for its favorite season. And no, it isn’t springtime or summertime. It’s barbecue time. This barbecue season, Kansas City food tech startup Tappecue has cooked up a new online platform to complement its existing meat thermometer. The platform — launched last week — is called SessionBook, which allows…
Watch: Nomad App founders ‘scratching our own itch’ with travel tech
After an inspiring but at times complicated adventure in Latin America, the founders of a Kansas City startup are aiming to ease the burdens of traveling to exotic locales. During a Central- and South-American tour of more than 5,500 miles, Nomad App co-founder Juan Campos said his team realized there are common logistical challenges for…
New, wireless Google project could make KC the most connected city on earth
Google apparently likes Kansas City a lot — a whole lot. Now four years after it launched its gigabit Internet service in the area, Google is planning to build a massive wireless broadband network in Kansas City that could make it one of the most connected cities on earth. Google — which already has determined the…