All Stories
Everyone deserves the right to vote safely, said Danielle Lehman, steering her innovative mind toward Curbside Notary — an effort to connect Missouri mail-in voters with notaries at easy-to-access locations like coffee shops and restaurants. “I started thinking about, ‘Where are people visiting every day?’ A lot of people go get their coffee in the…
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Five years after turning its ignition, Kansas City-revved BacklotCars is being acquired in a historic $425 million deal. Carmel, Indiana-based KAR Auction Services agreed to purchase the company by the end of the year, the companies said Tuesday morning. “KAR Global is the most innovative and progressive digital remarketing company in the world, and their…
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Perfecting a startup pitch depends on a founder’s ability to move beyond mere product knowledge and talk the investors’ language, said Kathryn Golden. “The reality is investors aren’t buying your product; they’re not customers,” explained Golden, programs director at the Enterprise Center in Johnson County. “Investors are looking at the company and asking, ‘Is this…
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The fourth season of Make48 is set to debut next week on Kansas City PBS — marking the maker-focused reality series’ return to Kansas City and chronicling some of the final days of life in a pre-pandemic world. Front and center amid the creative chaos — which descended March 6-7 on Union Station for 48-hours of filming…
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Ten Kansas City companies — including a handful of up-and-coming startups and popular food and beverage hotspots — are vying for the Chamber’s top honor: the coveted Mr. K award. “Today’s the day!” said Joe Reardon, president and CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, announcing the top 10 small business of the…
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Mild summer temperatures have fed Strang Hall’s bottom line, said Tim Barton, even as a persistent pandemic keeps the downtown Overland Park food hall hungry for its full potential. “Having the outdoor space and the roll-up garage door bar area has been very good for us,” said Tim Barton, the serial entrepreneur and mind behind…
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A sprawling mural inside Spark Kansas City offers the new collaborative workspace and its members more than just a few pops of color, said JT Daniels. “The subjects are all important figures specific to KC’s history, both past and present,” said Daniels, a Kansas City-based illustrator and muralist tasked with helping bring Spark KC’s common…
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Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial sponsor of Startland News. This report was produced independently by Startland News’ nonprofit newsroom. A COVID-era resiliency fund that quickly closed applications after receiving a deluge of response from entrepreneurs in need has awarded microgrants to 23 minority businesses on both sides of the state…
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The 2020 Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies List reflects a range of success stories and COVID-era challenges among Kansas City’s community of growth-stage, venture-backed companies. The list — updated annually by Startland News and its parent organization, Startland — shows that while few companies were spared from COVID-19’s impact, many of Kansas City’s leading entrepreneurs continued to grow…
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Entrepreneurs should reflect the communities they serve, said Katie Boody — a charge even more critical when innovative work touches Kansas City’s diverse public school systems, she added. “I know firsthand how challenging launching a startup can be for anyone, and especially for founders of color,” said Boody, co-founder and CEO of LEANLAB Education, announcing the…
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