All Stories

Yardball Kickstarter ends with six-figure funding (and rapid hiring for production) 

By Tommy Felts / August 18, 2022

When Sandlot Goods took to Kickstarter to crowdfund what it called “the perfect ball for the game of catch,” the world listened. More than 2,200 backers from across the globe pledged funds to secure their own Yardball — lighter than a baseball and sewn by hand with soft, premium leather. “We are absolutely thrilled with…

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Allyship means mistakes plus action: New project draws parallels between innovation, DEIB

By Tommy Felts / August 18, 2022

It’s time for coworkers to move beyond best intentions, said Ghadeer Garcia and Mark Logan, announcing the launch of a new project aimed at pushing allies in the workplace to action. The co-founders created the Ally Lab project through Idealect, an equity-centered social innovation company in Kansas City. The Ally Lab will offer knowledge and…

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Where’s the beef? Coming soon to this famed Kansas fried chicken spot? A sixth-generation cattle family’s prize-winning steaks

By Tommy Felts / August 17, 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. This…

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Veteran podcast creator finds inspiration at the crossroads of hip-hop, health; now launching digital magazine

By Tommy Felts / August 17, 2022

Jessica Dalby might be the name and face of her business, but her brands are all about lifting up others, she said. “My mission statement is: everyone can shine and succeed together,” detailed the founder of Jessica Dalby Brand Media. Under the company’s umbrella are four brands: “Diggie A-2: The Progression of Hip-Hop” video/audio podcast,…

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David Roberson, Azella, Pure Pitch Rally

Pure Pitch Rally set for October return at Burns & Mac HQ; startups competing for $1M+ in cash, prizes

By Tommy Felts / August 13, 2022

A new backer — one of Kansas City’s biggest corporate names — will help amplify the laser-focused mission of the Pure Pitch Rally, said Karen Fenaroli, announcing open applications for the 2022 startup competition. Burns & McDonnell, an industry leader in construction engineering, joins the Pure Pitch Rally as a major sponsor of the annual…

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U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaking at SXSW; photo by Channa Steinmetz/Startland News

Five KC-area projects get green light for $48.2M in federal funds to bolster supply chain, support racial equity, economic growth

By Tommy Felts / August 12, 2022

A federal push to make U.S. transportation systems safer, as well as more accessible, affordable, and sustainable will boost a handful of Kansas City modernization projects — including two that would reconnect east-west communities within the metro, the nation’s top transportation official announced Thursday. Nearly $48.2 million in funding is slated for local planning and capital…

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Mike Plunkett and John Thomson, PayIt

ROI from PayIt’s recent $90M investment displays value of MTC’s early support, agency says

By Tommy Felts / August 12, 2022

Marquee successes for two Show Me state companies — including a massive funding round for one rapidly growing Kansas City govtech scaleup — show the value of Missouri Technology Corporation’s early stage investment programs, said state and agency officials Thursday. A key example, they touted: PayIt, a SaaS platform that simplifies interactions between government agencies and…

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Window wordplay: More than meets the eye for lettering artist with a hand in Cafe Cà Phê’s new look

By Tommy Felts / August 11, 2022

Andrea Bosnak’s name and face might not immediately look familiar, but many Kansas Citians have definitely seen her signature work across the metro. The Spur & Serif lettering artist’s craft is featured at local hotspots like The Nelle, Café Corazón, Alma Mader Brewing, Classic Cookie, Rye, and now Cafe Cà Phê’s new brick and mortar…

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Can’t-miss Saigons: KC’s Vietnamese coffee shop debuting long-awaited storefront, new drinks after slow drip

By Tommy Felts / August 11, 2022

Two years after her Vietnamese coffee cart’s opening act — popping up in local businesses and parking lots across the city — Jackie Nguyen has found her audience, formed a community and will soon, finally, take center stage with her own standalone Cafe Cà Phê in Columbus Park. “When I moved to Kansas City, I…

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Tesseract Ventures awarded $1.25M grant for R&D at home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber

By Tommy Felts / August 11, 2022

One of Kansas City’s most innovative startups announced Thursday a direct-to-Phase II SBIR Grant with Whiteman Air Force Base — teaming the next-generation robotics leader with the U.S. military to launch smart technology with global impact, said John Boucard. “We are honored to work alongside some of the military’s most visionary minds, as we develop…

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