All Stories

Bank partners with Porter House to give out more than hugs; Meet four latest KC grant recipients

By Tommy Felts / November 9, 2022

Cameron Martin understands the importance of scaling deep into the community that inspired his journey and first fed the business he built with his wife, Tameisha, he said. The co-owners of Love is Key — a waffle-centric brunch restaurant and catering concept in the former Soulcentricitea space on Troost Avenue — were awarded a $15,000…

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Cannabis biz expected to grow like a weed after MO voters light recreational marijuana

By Tommy Felts / November 9, 2022

Tuesday’s vote in favor of recreational marijuana in Missouri shows Kansas City’s obvious appetite for legalization, said Michael Wilson, whose cannabis startup sees a vast new market opened by the election outcome. Statewide, Missouri poll-goers this week approved the high-profile constitutional amendment with 53.1 percent of the more than 2 million votes cast. In Kansas…

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New $2.2M funding round powers WorkTorch career platform expansion into KCK, KCMO

By Tommy Felts / November 8, 2022

Less than a year after sisters Deborah Gladney and Angela Muhwezi-Hall became the first Black women in Kansas to raise $1 million in seed funding for their startup, their rebranded Wichita company announced another $2.2 million investment for its rapidly scaling service industry career platform. The new influx of funding — led by Wichita-based Tenzing Capital…

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Your coworker who doesn’t like to fist bump isn’t dysfunctional; Don’t assume they’re broken (Holistic Hustle)

By Tommy Felts / November 8, 2022

Kharissa Parker is a news producer, writer, certified health coach, and columnist for Startland News. For more of her self-care tips on how to keep your cup full, visit kparker.co. Editor’s note: This commentary on bio-individuality — the idea that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to health and nutrition (even regard to a person’s health in the…

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No ratings, no negative reviews: Restaurant app guides diners through crowd-sourced trust

By Tommy Felts / November 8, 2022

Popular restaurant review sites — clouded by negative reviews and manipulated ratings — have often led Leo Esposito astray, he shared. To revolutionize the way people discover their next favorite place to eat, Esposito launched the social app Bōzt. “Our vision is to be the most trusted platform for sourcing restaurant recommendations,” said Esposito, who founded…

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Meet three tech startup founders pitching in KC’s women-led ‘Dolphin Tank’ event

By Tommy Felts / November 4, 2022

A pitch event is set to return to Kansas City with a trio of female founders spotlighted for a panel of “dolphins.” “Springboard’s Dolphin Tank brings the power of our collective community to women entrepreneurs innovating in enterprise tech,” said Natalie Buford-Young, CEO of Springboard Enterprises. “Our Dolphin Tank events showcase exciting women-led companies and…

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Founders earn innovation, Business Hall of Fame honors from Junior Achievement

By Tommy Felts / November 4, 2022

Carlos Antequera’s business roots run deep, he told a crowd gathered for his induction into Junior Achievement’s Business Hall of Fame, noting inspiration and impact from his time assisting his grandmother in her convenience store in Bolivia to current-day collaborators in Kansas City. “I’ve been very fortunate in my entrepreneurial journey to have been surrounded…

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Missouri cannabis company grows into flower, buying massive Kansas City grow facility

By Tommy Felts / November 4, 2022

A Springfield-based cannabis company is acquiring a massive growing and manufacturing facility in Kansas City, positioning Show-Me Organics as a vertical player in the budding Missouri marijuana market. The deal to purchase the local 80,000-square-foot cannabis operation from Holistic Industries — one of the nation’s largest, private multi-state operators in the cannabis industry — is…

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THC-infused lemonade squeezes into market as ballot push unbottles potential for 2M Missouri cannabis customers

By Tommy Felts / November 4, 2022

Blending the classic and comforting flavor of lemonade with the benefits of marijuana is like mixing oil and water, said Michael Wilson. But Franklin’s Stash House persisted, spending the time and money to perfect the process behind its THC-infused lemonade, he said. “Our water soluble formula has been our biggest investment — and really the…

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‘This is our era’: How one local streetwear brand got the ball rolling for an exclusive KC Comets collab 

By Tommy Felts / November 4, 2022

Soccer fans can kick off their weekend with a one-day-only sale of a limited-edition apparel collaboration between Kansas City’s premier indoor soccer team and its top streetwear brand, said Vu Radley. “We found this really cool, creative space with the KC Comets where we could pay homage to their vintage jerseys and mix it with…

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