LISTEN: Founder on his third startup shares his ‘toilet test’ for culture, talks the lonely eship rollercoaster from Ireland to Topeka
August 29, 2025 | Austin Barnes
On this episode of Startland News’ new Plug and Play Topeka founder podcast series, we chat with Barry McDonogh — CEO of Hinalea Imaging — to uncover how cutting-edge hyperspectral imaging is changing the way industries see the world.
Barry McDonogh, Hinalea Imaging; photo by Austin Barnes, Startland News
From food safety and agriculture to pharmaceuticals and defense, Hinalea’s technology reveals the invisible — capturing data far beyond the limits of the human eye. And along the way, we’ll hear how McDonogh has learned a range of lessons about being a founder, and how to build alongside the right kind of team.
Recorded live at the Plug and Play Animal Health & AgTech Expo in Topeka, this episode continues Startland News’ 12-part series on the founders transforming the future of animal health and agtech — and putting Topeka on the map as a national innovation hub.
Listen to a teaser below or click here for the full podcast episode.
Featured Business
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Thirsty Coconut buys country’s worth of smoothie machines, hops state line
When opportunity knocks, entrepreneurs must throw risk out the window and do whatever it takes to open the door, said Luke Einsel. “[This was] really the deal of a lifetime,” said Einsel, founder and CEO of Thirsty Coconut, detailing a business deal he struck with 7-Eleven stores across Mexico late last year. The transaction saw…
WIRED together: How mentorship led 22 women to a million-dollar investment
Collaboration among like-minded women forms a dangerous advantage, said Sheryl Vickers and Audrey Navarro. The duo helped found WIRED — Women in Real Estate Development — to foster mentorship and investment among women in the male-dominated and individualistic commercial real estate world. “We believe we have a leg up in the industry because that siloed,…
Founder facing gender bias: Don’t call me a victim; call me investors
It’s like pulling teeth to get key investors and resource organizations to help push female entrepreneurs forward, said Carlanda McKinney, citing implicit bias and a lack of effective support mechanisms. “I don’t think it’s intentional at all. I think it’s a byproduct,” said McKinney, co-founder of Raaxo, an online tech platform used to design and…
Even gatekeepers struggle to bring KC’s women-led companies in from the cold
Female entrepreneurs are falling behind as a new generation of highly-scalable startups rises in the Kansas City, said Darcy Howe, reporting too few women-led firms even approaching KCRise Fund for investment. “My experience with those ‘Hey, I hear you have money’ calls that I do get [from female entrepreneurs] — many of them are not…