All Stories

Behind the scenes of a scaling business: Five steps to better HIPAA compliance

By Tommy Felts / December 3, 2020

Editor’s note: This commentary — the first in a four-part series — is sponsored and produced by LightEdge, a leading provider of enterprise-grade data center solutions — rooted in colocation and private cloud, and wrapped in security and compliance. The company delivers always-on internet with highly interconnected data centers, unmatched Compliance as a Service, and…

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ScaleUP! Kansas City cohort

ScaleUP! KC seeks top-tier small businesses primed to scale; applications open through Dec. 23

By Tommy Felts / December 3, 2020

Impact doesn’t stop with the end of a ScaleUP! Kansas City cohort, said Jill Hathaway, and the program certainly isn’t pausing amid the ongoing pandemic, which has thrown many entrepreneurs for a loop. ScaleUP! KC is set to return in January for its 11th cohort, which now is a 16-week interactive virtual experience that blends…

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Alan Kneeland, The Combine

The Combine hopes to cultivate KC unity with pizza and cocktails on Troost

By Tommy Felts / December 2, 2020

Editor’s note: This article is underwritten by Plexpod — a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes — but was independently produced by Startland News. Pizzeria restaurateur Alan Kneeland’s connection to Troost slices both ways. “I actually grew up on 75th and Troost, so it’s pretty dope to…

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Plexpod Flashcube

Sneak peek: Plexpod Flashcube offers glimpse into coworking’s future (Hint: It isn’t far from home)

By Tommy Felts / December 1, 2020

Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Plexpod — a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes — but was independently produced by Startland News. Work, live, play, Stephanie Medina emphasized during a guided tour of the newest and most high-end Plexpod community yet.  “We’re looking at how…

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Darcy Howe, KCRise Fund; Back2KC 2019

It isn’t the hometown you left behind: Back2KC returns this week to reunite talent with today’s Kansas City

By Tommy Felts / November 30, 2020

People are longing for community perhaps now more than ever, said Brett Crawford, announcing the return of Back2KC, a two-day virtual event reconnecting former Kansas Citians to their hometown. And the timing has never been better, he added. “Suddenly you’re not confined by the residence-versus-workplace conundrum,” said Crawford, who leads the Back2KC program for Startland,…

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La’Nesha Frazier and La’Nae Robinson, Bliss Books and Wine

Partners in page turning: Sisters unwind with cigar bar-style concept for wine-loving readers

By Tommy Felts / November 28, 2020

Sure, wine pairs great with dinner or sweets — but have you ever tried it with just the right book, asked Kansas City-born sisters La’Nesha Frazier and La’Nae Robinson. “If I’m reading a comedy, I don’t want something dark, something like a heavy red wine. I want light. I want something fruity, I want something…

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Dave Lindahl, HyperKC

HyperKC owner found freedom in KC’s ‘softest’ tee — and a new career as his own boss

By Tommy Felts / November 27, 2020

If Kansas City has an abundance of anything, it’s wearable pride, said Dave Lindahl.  “Charlie Hustle invented it,” added Lindahl, owner of HyperKC — a local apparel company that channeled the New York-transplant’s passion for KC into an all-inclusive brand that celebrates local artists and serves as a de facto welcome center for out-of-town visitors…

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Chocolatier Christopher Elbow: Neighborhood favorites need KC support to survive 2020 (and 2021)

By Tommy Felts / November 27, 2020

Hours before opening to hungry Black Friday customers, workers at Christopher Elbow’s Fairway Creamery were busy crafting decadent donuts and savory on-the-go breakfast favorites. Salted caramel gingersnap cake. Strawberry rosé and chocolate blackout yeast raised. Avocado toast with a sunny side up egg on top. The morning easily could go either way, staff members said:…

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Illustration by Elyssa Bezner

Shop small: Five clicks to KC-made creations you’ll likely only find online (not sold in stores)

By Tommy Felts / November 27, 2020

Editor’s note: Startland News searched the web to find some of Kansas City’s rising products — sold largely online — as part of the newsroom’s five-part holiday gift guide that identifies locally made goods and supports the call to shop small. Click here to read the multi-day gift guide as it develops. When it comes to holiday…

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Westside Storey illustration by Elyssa Bezner

Shop small: Five ways to wear (and wash with) KC pride from Westside Storey’s historic corner

By Tommy Felts / November 26, 2020

Editor’s note: Startland News perused Westside Storey’s 1920s-era corner shop as part of the newsroom’s five-part holiday gift guide that identifies locally made goods and supports the call to shop small. Click here to read the multi-day gift guide as it develops. What began eight years ago as a boutique antique shop quickly evolved into…

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