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WATCH: Small biz struggles didn’t begin with pandemic pinch, says Rep. Davids; solutions go beyond COVID relief

By Tommy Felts / February 24, 2022

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exaggerated pain points that small business owners were already facing before the global health crisis, said U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids. “I really think that what the pandemic did was, in some ways, highlighted the things that we should have been focusing on. … I know a lot…

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Bo Lais, Lula

Lula posts $3M round from single VC investor as proptech startup rapidly scales

By Tommy Felts / February 23, 2022

A $3 million injection of funding for Lula means more jobs for Kansas City, revealed Bo Lais.  But that’s not all it signals, he added, noting the fast-growing startup to watch is well on its way to achieving major milestones in 2022.  “We truly believe in solving real problems in this industry and always think…

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Theresa “Ting” Santos, Ting’s Filipino Bistro

Ting’s takes a page from grandma’s cookbook, bringing Filipino fare to KC; second ‘dream’ location coming to 39th Street 

By Tommy Felts / February 22, 2022

Filipino food goes hand-in-hand with Theresa “Ting” Santos’ fondest memories, she said. Wherever her family gathered to celebrate or just simply be together, food followed.  “It’s always been a passion of mine to feed a lot of people. My grandma in the Philippines had her own little eatery. When I was little, I would go…

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Amos King, Binary Noggin

Binary Noggin triples headcount, relocates to North Kansas City office in latest growth spurt

By Tommy Felts / February 22, 2022

Binary Noggin is tripling its growth efforts with added headcount, an office relocation and a new consulting service line for clients, the surging software developer said Tuesday. “We’re extremely excited to be able to deepen the expertise within our services — and to increase value offerings for our clients,” said Amos King, CEO and founder…

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TJ Roberts, Kinship Cafe

Chamber’s new ‘Superstars’ roster brings exposure to 2,000+ KC small businesses 

By Tommy Felts / February 21, 2022

Editor’s note: The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is a non-financial partner of Startland News, which serves as the media partner for the Small Business Superstars program. An excited TJ Roberts took a quick break from shoveling snow Friday in the parking lot of his Kansas City, Kansas, coffee shop to post his elation…

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Shonta Dabney, CoffeeFreshAF

‘My soul is being fed’: Shonta Dabney sips the small wins in her round-the-clock quest to bring Black-roasted coffee home

By Tommy Felts / February 19, 2022

While most kids were drinking milk, juice, or plain old water — Shonta Dabney held a warm mug in her hands, sipping coffee at the kitchen table with her grandparents, she recalled.  “I have to be one of the very few Americans whose grandparents gave her coffee as a toddler,” Dabney laughed, looking back on where…

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Just funded: First wave of Alchemy Sandbox grants aim for ‘snowball effect’ in KC

By Tommy Felts / February 19, 2022

A new grant program has selected its first five awardees — with 15 more to come in 2022 — aiming to create rolling momentum for Kansas City’s main street businesses, said Miranda Schultz. The Alchemy Sandbox Program on Friday announced its first quarter grantees with entrepreneurs selected to receive as much as $5,000 for their…

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Neelima Parasker, SnapIT Solutions

SnapIT scores lucrative government contract with $50B ceiling in emerging tech space

By Tommy Felts / February 19, 2022

An Overland Park IT firm’s selection to deliver technology solutions to federal agencies is the latest evolution of the Johnson County business, which has seen rapid growth over the past three years as it expanded its focus. SnapIT Solutions, a high-tech services and tech training firm headquartered in Johnson County, was tapped for the second…

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Paradise EDU at Paradise Garden Club

Just another day in Paradise (EDU): Urban nursery turns soil to nurture STEAM students

By Tommy Felts / February 17, 2022

When learners dig into the Paradise Garden Club STEAM program, they unearth non-traditional learning opportunities in a classroom cased in chlorophyll.  “It starts on a very base level — using your hands to work with raw soil,” said Jessica Teliczan, owner and operator of Crossroads-planted Paradise Garden Club, teasing the newly launched effort — formally branded…

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Jason Taylor, Matchless Cabinet

Tech meets Amish craftsmanship for a ‘matchless’ DIY home experience dealt by this KC engineer

By Tommy Felts / February 17, 2022

From Kansas City-coded Stackify to his dream job at Microsoft, working in tech is a labor of love for Jason Taylor. But it couldn’t keep him from hanging a side hustle.  “I’ve always been a do-it-yourself project type of person,” Taylor said, noting numerous remodeling projects he and his wife, Lindsay, have taken on over…

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