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Shop Small: 5 gifts for someone who needs a little self-care — even if that’s you (KC Gift Guide)

By Tommy Felts / November 22, 2022

Editor’s note: This feature is the second in Startland News’ five-part holiday gift guide showcasing Kansas City makers and their products. Check out the featured maker below, then keep reading for five gift ideas to get started. Christmas Eve was always a childhood favorite for Matt Bramlette. The Bear Soap Company and Mid Coast Modern…

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Business advocate vows ‘We will never be afraid again’ after shooting at LGBTQ+ nightclub

By Tommy Felts / November 21, 2022

Kansas City’s LGBTQ+ business community remains defiant in the face of bigotry and vigilant in its commitment to protect its members in the wake of a deadly mass shooting this weekend in Colorado, said Suzanne Wheeler. “Our ever-resilient community will continue to uproot hatred and bigotry with deeds of love and visibility,” said Wheeler, executive…

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Shop Small: 5 gifts for people who are always cold (KC Gift Guide)

By Tommy Felts / November 21, 2022

Editor’s note: This feature is the first in Startland News’ five-part holiday gift guide showcasing Kansas City makers and their products. Check out the featured maker below, then keep reading for five gift ideas to get started. A decade later, Pancho’s Blanket co-owner Jonathan Garvey is still wearing a hooded sweater his mom bought him…

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Missouri businesses consider leaving Twitter amid instability of Elon Musk’s takeover

By Tommy Felts / November 21, 2022

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Missouri Business Alert, a member of the KC Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, and The Kansas City Beacon. Click here to read the original story. COLUMBIA, Missouri — As concern about Twitter increases under new leadership and changing guidelines,…

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Bungii hires former C2FO exec for CFO role; startup delivers on new consumer demands

By Tommy Felts / November 21, 2022

Ratcheting through the stages of a growing startup is easier with an experienced professional under the hood, said Ben Jackson, drawing upon the comparison of scaling to “chewing glass while staring into the abyss.” “Companies fundamentally change as various revenue thresholds are surpassed,” said Jackson, co-founder of Bungii. “A seed stage company looks completely different…

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Come on (down) Now! AltCap Your Biz awards $37K in prizes with a familiar face earning biggest win of the night

By Tommy Felts / November 18, 2022

The founder’s story can be the most important part of a startup’s pitch, Dr. Shelley Cooper shared after clinching the $25,000 grand prize at Thursday’s AltCap Your Biz: Pitch Competition. “Everybody else had a lot more financials in their pitch, and I took all that stuff out. I focused on telling my story the way…

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Panel: Teachers can’t just ‘fail fast’ with students, but plugging entrepreneurship into classrooms builds agility in both

By Tommy Felts / November 18, 2022

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.…

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VIDEO: How KC-built Engenious Design is scaling with stealth to atmospheric heights

By Tommy Felts / November 17, 2022

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…

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City zoning change melts barriers for artisanal makers building businesses in KCMO

By Tommy Felts / November 16, 2022

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…

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VC summit: It’s a great place to ‘keep your head down and build’ — but is ‘KC nice’ slowing potential?

By Tommy Felts / November 16, 2022

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…

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