All Stories

Grab me a stick of butter too? How a KC-built group shopping app could eliminate needless grocery runs

By Tommy Felts / July 17, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic clearly isn’t going anywhere until the arguing stops, said Jason Wadsworth.  “Mask-wearing has become political and that’s just so disheartening,” said Wadsworth, vice president of engineering at MobileUp Software. “These times are unprecedented and I really hope that as a community, we can stop arguing and just come together to work it…

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Soulcentricitea on Troost

Tea shop on Troost finds its flavor at the intersection of herbal serenity, cultural activism

By Tommy Felts / July 15, 2020

Kansas City’s air is thick with revolution and restoration, contemplated Nika Cotton.  “In the social and cultural climate, it’s really a time that people are rising up. The systems are changing. We’re talking about the abolition of police departments, the abolition of the industrial prison system — really exciting things,” Cotton said amid a flurry of…

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Brendan Waters and Jon Ruiz, EB Systems

Startups fighting COVID: Black & Veatch taps 18 for Coronavirus response accelerator

By Tommy Felts / July 15, 2020

Four months after an unprecedented pandemic struck the Midwest, partners from more than a dozen startups, established businesses and universities are set to pitch their solutions for developing and deploying emerging technologies to fight Coronavirus. KC-area startups EB Systems, InnovaPrep, Motega and MySidewalk are among 18 members of Black & Veatch’s IgniteX COVID-19 Response Accelerator,…

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Dan Smith, The Porter House KC

Heartland Challenge: Meet Kauffman’s 17 grantees (and the projects getting funded)

By Tommy Felts / July 15, 2020

The only way to regain lost momentum in the Heartland’s cities and rural areas: work together to develop, catalyze, and expand inclusive programs and strengthen regional ecosystems, said Melissa Roberts Chapman. A new portfolio of 17 grantee organizations is up to the challenge, she added. “Entrepreneurship represents an opportunity for this region to reverse a…

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Evan Brown, Doodle Dood LLC

A doodle a day: Entrepreneur maps lucrative ambitions beyond ‘popping’ new OP mural

By Tommy Felts / July 14, 2020

A recently completed mural within the Edison District’s walkable community paints downtown Overland Park as the new hub for Kansas City, said Evan Brown. The commissioned piece aims to grab attention, as well as signal the client’s vision of an up-and-coming space for a new generation of residents and workers who are driving the metro…

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CAPS goes international with latest affiliate; builds new student connections with Summer Bash

By Tommy Felts / July 14, 2020

A Johnson County-born professional studies program for teenagers is going international, said Corey Mohn, announcing CAPS’ new partnership with Holy Trinity School in Ontario, Canada. “I feel like we can learn from working with a different system and with students from a different culture,” said Mohn, executive director of the Blue Valley School District Center…

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Mom’s Insta-Meal secret sauce for work-life balance: Put dinner in a pot and walk away

By Tommy Felts / July 14, 2020

Having a family and a thriving startup don’t have to be mutually exclusive experiences, said Robyn Wagner, sharing her journey to build a food brand that lives up to legacy-rich Kansas City standards — with a twist all its own.  “If you really have an idea and you want to go for it, there’s somebody out…

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Joni Wickham

‘Thin Line Between Cupcake and Bitch’: Women find universal message in bestseller, KC author says

By Tommy Felts / July 10, 2020

Joni Wickham’s blunt new book — “The Thin Line Between Cupcake and Bitch” — isn’t intended to spark controversy, the Kansas City author said of her collection of experiences forged as a woman in leadership and politics.  “You wouldn’t believe how many people tried to convince me to change the title of the book, and…

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80s Cassette Wall Art, Wee Woodworks

Wee works of art: Vintage-inspired maker layers nostalgia, whimsy into every intricate piece

By Tommy Felts / July 10, 2020

Metro makers continue to benefit from the “Mahomes Magic” nearly a half-year after the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory.  But it was the Miami-bound mantra of another Chief that helped sales skyrocket at Wee Woodworks — landing the intricate laser-cut creations of Chris Conway a spot at Made in KC’s flagship store on the Country…

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Clarence Tan and Edna Tan, Boddle

Boddle’s new $350K investment comes with a catch: KC startup relocating to Tulsa

By Tommy Felts / July 9, 2020

Pre-seed funding from Tulsa-based Atento Capital is expected to help accelerate Boddle’s gamified edtech platform amid an ongoing pandemic — but the infusion means the Kansas City startup will move south to work more closely with its new investor. “Our team is looking forward to the growth and impact that this investment will allow us…

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