All Stories

Column raises $30M with a mission to make public information systems more valuable

By Tommy Felts / August 25, 2022

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. MANHATTAN,…

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Gardner swag startup bags $150K from Minnesota-based accelerator for bootstrappers

By Tommy Felts / August 25, 2022

PromoPulse, a Kansas software company that enables promotional product businesses to grow their sales and simplify marketing, announced today it raised $150,000 from the TinySeed accelerator program. The funding and TinySeed’s collaborative network will fuel PromoPulse’s mission to amplify the sales and marketing of businesses that sell swag — also known as the promotional products…

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These chefs are baking fine dining (and shareable small plates) into one of KC’s favorite cookie spots

By Tommy Felts / August 25, 2022

Classic Cookie by day; Wild Rose Bistro by night. Two dining concepts will share the same space in Waldo as Chef Bryan Sparks builds a new menu — and business — from his obsession with food and growth. “It doesn’t really make sense for us to get another brick-and-mortar spot,” said Sparks, who launched the rebooted…

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Willy Schlacks, Scale, EquipmentShare

‘The opposite of growth is death’: Why the founder of EquipmentShare is driven by process, not an end goal 

By Tommy Felts / August 24, 2022

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. COLUMBIA,…

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Hair and beauty emergency? On-demand app matches stylists with last-minute needs nearby

By Tommy Felts / August 23, 2022

Inspired by the need for a last-minute blowout at a hotel in Florida — as well as her life-changing experience with contract work — Ruth Shrauner turned to tech that she hopes will reshape the foundation of the beauty industry. The Shawnee-based founder and CEO plans to launch her app — Poshed On The Go…

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‘Credit score for startups’: Foresight founders aim to replace pitch decks with investability scores 

By Tommy Felts / August 23, 2022

Every founder deserves a fair opportunity to succeed, said Jannae Gammage, which is why she partnered with Charlotte Clark to launch a platform that would help entrepreneurs make value-driven decisions — while empowering investors to invest in them. A core idea behind the new startup: entrepreneurs believe tech over people. “I have been working side-by-side…

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‘Funds and coaching equally crucial’: GIFT reports $460K for Black-owned entrepreneurs as business center books up

By Tommy Felts / August 19, 2022

In its second fiscal year, the Kansas City-based nonprofit Generating Income For Future Generations (G.I.F.T) has more than doubled its grant amount for Black-owned businesses — but there’s no hidden secret to that success, said Brandon Calloway. “We simply acknowledged this big elephant in the room that everybody already knew existed and created a path…

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Recreational golf can be lonely without community; this Olathe-built app brings players together on the green

By Tommy Felts / August 19, 2022

He set out to create an all-encompassing, tech-enabled golf platform that would make his favorite sport more fun, accessible, convenient, and transparent — but Somanath Chilukuri already knew the hazards of the crowded course ahead of him. “Today there is so much app overload on people,” said Chilukuri, an Olathe IT professional and the founder…

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New C2FO-powered payment hub unlocks capital for diverse-owned businesses

By Tommy Felts / August 19, 2022

Editor’s note: C2FO is a financial supporter of Startland News’ nonprofit newsroom. A just-launched strategic partnership between one of Kansas City’s largest startups and a Detroit-based minority-owned finance and diversity consulting firm aims to help more overlooked and under-capitalized businesses gain access to funds, the companies announced this week. The deal is expected to see…

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$2M federal grant boosts K-State efforts to expand region’s digital manufacturing capabilities

By Tommy Felts / August 19, 2022

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. MANHATTAN,…

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