All Stories

Ryan Karlin, Becca Schmidt, and Kevin Flaker, Generation STEM

Forget Gen Z vs Millennials: The real action is in Generation STEM, say Black & Veatch podcast hosts

By Tommy Felts / February 17, 2021

A podcast designed by three young professionals at a leading Kansas City engineering firm is challenging stereotypes about STEM careers — and outdated narratives about people within their industry, said Becca Schmidt. “The basis of the Generation STEM podcast: how can we attract young, vibrant, fun talent through the three of us being on a…

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Amber Baulder and Syerrah Samone, SIS Hands on Workshop (SHOW)

Sisters hope to narrow industry gender gap with free video production workshop for women

By Tommy Felts / February 17, 2021

When Stellar Image Studios recently opened its casting call for female videographers, the sisters behind the increasingly busy Kansas City production team discovered a talent pool not quite ready to hit the streets.  “We had applicants who had the potential, but they didn’t have the skill yet,” said Amber Baulder, who co-founded Stellar Image Studios…

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How LendingStandard’s new marketplace tapped into a record-setting real estate trend 

By Tommy Felts / February 16, 2021

A KCK startup opened a funding pipeline with its latest offering that exceeded $860 million in its first seven months of operation.  MultifamilyDebt.com — a multifamily lending marketplace fueled by Kansas City, Kansas-based LendingStandard — announced the achievement Monday, signaling rapid growth in the midst of a record-setting era for real estate.  “Providing quality loans and fast…

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Max Kaniger, Kanbe's Markets

Kanbe’s Markets sees massive growth, plans expansion beyond KC as food insecurity surges

By Tommy Felts / February 16, 2021

Kanbe’s Markets is growing its operations — cultivating 2020 success into plans to transplant healthy, fresh, affordable ingredients to food deserts beyond Kansas City. “Food insecurity is a problem that isn’t specific to just Kansas City, so our goal going forward is to maximize the impact of this program, to enhance health outcomes, and to…

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Herd that beef was grass-fed? KC inventor’s cattle facial ID could drive steak through origin uncertainty

By Tommy Felts / February 16, 2021

One of Kansas City’s most active serial inventors recently harvested his 88th patent, but it’s the revolutionary new way he’s using blockchain technology and augmented reality that’s turning heads (of cattle) down on the farm. Shekhar Gupta’s latest reveal: a facial recognition platform specifically designed to identify and track bovine for the bottom line — reducing…

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Liza Thomas and Brian Thomas, Coruzant Technologies

Fund Me, KC: Overland Park couple takes on TechCrunch with women-focused digital tech publication

By Tommy Felts / February 15, 2021

Startland News is continuing its “Fund Me, KC” series to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses or lend a helping hand to others. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like Liza and Brian Thomas whose campaign supports funding the digital publication Coruzant Technologies — to share their crowdfunding stories in a simple…

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Clarence Tan and Edna Martinson, Boddle Learning

Coming to a student’s iPad near you: Boddle launches in Apple App Store as edtech startup celebrates third birthday

By Tommy Felts / February 14, 2021

A Kansas City-generated gamified math education platform is expanding its user base this weekend as Boddle Learning debuts the high-profile startup’s long-awaited iOS app version. The move is expected to most immediately benefit schools that use iPads, as well as parents at home who can now more-easily access the technology on mobile devices, said Edna…

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Hank Breckenridge, NAMA

Real-time translator: Shawnee Mission East grad uses Reddit to launch language-learning messaging app 

By Tommy Felts / February 13, 2021

A family move to Mumbai in his early teens gave Hank Breckenridge an appreciation for unfamiliar surroundings, the young entrepreneur from Leawood said. “While I lived in India, I got super interested in learning about different cultures and little bits of different languages. I had friends from 13 different countries and actually learned how to…

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West Bottoms Whiskey

Destination whiskey: A newly bottled West Bottoms distillery sees KC barreling toward old fashioned fame

By Tommy Felts / February 12, 2021

Innovation is intoxicating, Michael Hopkins said, pouring the story behind a newly-distilled whiskey company that hopes to do its part to put Kansas City grains on the maker’s map.  “The more distilleries, the more Kansas City is going to get recognized for [its whiskey],” said Hopkins, one of three business partners behind West Bottoms Whiskey,…

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Colleen Monroe, Floraloom

Floraloom’s Colleen Monroe put her green thumb on the steering wheel, leaving LA for KC sunshine

By Tommy Felts / February 12, 2021

Quarantine changed people — including Colleen Monroe, the serial entrepreneur said, looking back on the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles and the day she loaded her car with a few personal belongings and as many vases as it could hold. Uprooting her once-busy life, she hoped growth opportunities might bloom in…

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