All Stories

Jonathan O’Neil Cole, Pendulum Studio, and Tim Bowman, Compass Resources, Troost Village Development

Watch: Troost Village duo go behind the scenes of four-year development in historic East KC neighborhood 

By Tommy Felts / May 11, 2021

Editor’s note: The following story includes the first video in a four-part series taking a look under the hard hats at the Troost Village development, a $162 million project on Troost Avenue, the city’s longtime racial dividing line. Videos in this series are expected to debut on Startland News as the project unfolds. The finished…

Read More >
Megan Williams, Smiles and Kuts Foundation

Social entrepreneur cuts into kids’ shaken self-esteem: I can’t save them all, but I can put smiles on a few faces

By Tommy Felts / May 11, 2021

When Megan Williams’ daughter was diagnosed with hearing loss, the challenge put her confidence to the test.  “Sometimes kids are cruel,” Williams, a local hair stylist and salon owner, said of concerns her family faced as they sent the 5-year-old to school with hearing aids neatly tucked around her ears. Knowing full well the taunting…

Read More >

KC’s long-running online indie music magazine just debuted in print; why its founder saved advertising for the black-and-white page

By Tommy Felts / May 11, 2021

Flashy digital ads and gimmicky marketing schemes aren’t telling the stories (or singing the praises) of artists who run counter to Kansas City’s mainstream, said Aaron Rhodes, founder of a niche music magazine newly hitting the streets this spring. Readers shouldn’t be fooled, Rhodes said. His underground approach to ad sales for Shuttlecock Music Magazine…

Read More >

Returning to the workplace? You might be surprised how much on your computer is worth stealing

By Tommy Felts / May 10, 2021

Editor’s note: The following commentary, sponsored by NetStandard, is the first in a two-part series exploring information security. The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Scott Minneman is the information security manager for NetStandard, and oversees internal security and SOC 2 compliance. If you walk away from your desk, even for a…

Read More >
Leah Hermida, The Windmill KC

Leah Hermida brought coffee home to KCK; her Windmill KC cafe already needs more space

By Tommy Felts / May 8, 2021

In the shadow of the Kansas City skyline, new entrepreneurial energy is brewing in Wyandotte County, the childhood home of Leah Hermida.  “I knew the community really well,” Hermida said from her pandemic-opened, Turner-based coffee shop, The Windmill KC, noting she grew up in the city before eventually relocating to Overland Park. “I worked locally…

Read More >
Brian Weaver, Torch.AI

Torch.AI set to create nearly 500 new KC jobs; why region’s ‘tapestry of talent’ means aggressive hiring ahead

By Tommy Felts / May 7, 2021

A Leawood-based artificial intelligence firm on Friday announced plans to create nearly 500 full-time jobs in the region over the next five years — with the backing of the State of Kansas and the boost of a recent $30 million round.  Building a tech company in Kansas City is the furthest thing from an uphill…

Read More >
Kyle Davis, Modus Light

How a KC native translated his family business into a development-to-delivery logistics firm

By Tommy Felts / May 6, 2021

Kyle Davis is connecting the globe to his hometown through Modus Light, his manufacturing and supply chain management provider. “Modus Light allows companies to have a single source supplier for their multiple product lines, [so then] they only need to manage us,” explained the founder and CEO of Overland Park-based Modus Light. “We’re the ones…

Read More >
ChessUp board by Bryght Labs

$1.7M+ crowdfunding haul puts ChessUp in attack position for production, hiring top talent

By Tommy Felts / May 6, 2021

The makers of ChessUp are at a million-dollar advantage after the close of their first crowdfunding campaign.   “It’s what we dreamed about and hoped for,” Jeff Wigh, CEO and one of three co-founders behind Bryght Labs, maker of ChessUp, said of the company’s first Kickstarter campaign and its $1.703 million close late last month.  Becoming…

Read More >
Tommy Felts, Channa Steinmetz, and Austin Barnes, Startland News

Startland News earns nine awards with first entry into Kansas journalism contest

By Tommy Felts / May 6, 2021

Startland News celebrated its sixth birthday this week with news of its own — announcing nine awards from the Kansas Press Association for reporting and photography in 2020. The honors include four first-place wins for Startland News from among a crop of competitors that range from the Kansas City Business Journal, Kansas City Star, Topeka Capital-Journal…

Read More >
Karen Fenaroli, Pure Pitch Rally 2020

Newly honored as a ‘world-changing idea,’ Pure Pitch Rally opens 2021 contest applications

By Tommy Felts / May 5, 2021

A premier Kansas City pitch competition that awards emerging tech founders on-the-spot cash funding, along with a series of business bootcamp experiences, was honored this week among Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas. The winners include businesses, policies, projects and concepts that are actively engaged and deeply committed to pursuing innovation when it comes to solving…

Read More >
1MC-Digital-Attend-2460x318px-v1
Founders-Club-Banner-Ad-2

Join Founder's Club – Support Our Mission

Enjoy access to our email newsletter, members only Slack community, exclusive events and other member perks.