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Joe Krywicki, Jerry Workman and Parker Graham, Destiny; Startland News' Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2020

Already managing $25M in user debt, KC fintech startup Destiny banks on New York accelerator

By Tommy Felts / March 7, 2020

Newly launched accelerator programming could help Kansas City-based Destiny Wealth secure customers and funding as the startup makes key pivots.  “This accelerator gives us a brand new network,” said Parker Graham, Destiny co-founder and CEO.  Part of the newly launched fintech track of the Nex Cubed Accelerator, Graham and Destiny will spend 16 weeks immersed…

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Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control

Fearing coronavirus? Don’t count out flu season — especially in these 10 ‘sickest’ cities

By Tommy Felts / March 5, 2020

Expecting a respite from flu-like symptoms and respiratory illness as warm weather approaches? Don’t let your guard down just yet, Kansas City-based Sickweather said Thursday, issuing a “troubling” forecast for cities across the U.S. “Sickweather’s prediction for a prolonged season of flu-like illness is historic because it represents a stark contrast to the notion that…

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Thalia Cherry, Cherry

KC ‘community crusader’ Thalia Cherry joins Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes on EBONY Power 100 list

By Tommy Felts / March 5, 2020

Editor’s note: Thalia Cherry is a board member of STARTLAND, the ecosystem building organization that operates Startland News. This story was produced independently by Startland News’ nonprofit newsroom. A Kansas City entrepreneur widely known for sports apparel lines honoring the history of the Chiefs and Monarchs is earning acclaim in her own right. Thalia Cherry…

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American Red Cross workers using Healium in Nashville

KC startup helps Nashville tornado survivors escape into VR ‘mental health armor’

By Tommy Felts / March 5, 2020

Locally built virtual reality tools are helping victims cope after a suspected EF4 tornado devastated part of Nashville early Tuesday morning.  “We grabbed headsets and we went to the shelters to see if individuals wanted to escape and relax,” Sarah Hill, founder of Healium, explained of the startup’s reaction to the storm that killed more…

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Tesseract Ventures team

AI, robotics innovator Tesseract Ventures secures $2M investment from UMB Capital

By Tommy Felts / March 5, 2020

One of Kansas City’s leading startups is making good on a teaser that it’s collaborating with local “titans of industry” to defy the boundaries of space and time through next-generation technologies. Tesseract Ventures — which uses robots, smart spaces, wearables and connected platforms in its mission to make industries smarter, better connected and more efficient…

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PJ Piper, Aware Vehicles; and ZhiQiang Chen, University of Missouri-Kansas City

Whiteboard2Boardroom connections advance innovation for startups like Aware Vehicles

By Tommy Felts / March 3, 2020

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Sarah Mote is marketing director for UMKC Innovation Center and KCSourceLink. The right introduction, at the right time, can make a world of difference. Tech entrepreneur P.J. Piper came to Kansas City six years ago to scale another venture. What he had: entrepreneurial…

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Matt Miquelon and Bill Frenzel, Signal Kit

Startup to Watch exit: KC’s Signal Kit found momentum — and a buyer — on West Coast

By Tommy Felts / March 3, 2020

An edtech firm with deep roots in Kansas City’s startup community is being integrated into its new West Coast owner’s school communications platform, the companies announced Monday. Signal Kit — one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2019 — was acquired by Santa Barbara, Calif.-based ParentSquare in an undisclosed cash and equity…

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Bryan Boots, UMKC's Regnier Institute

Regnier student venture contest widens to high schools, eyeing next generation of innovators

By Tommy Felts / March 3, 2020

A broader reach is expected to drive the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge in 2020, as the University of Missouri-Kansas City expands the impact-driven contest beyond multiple state lines.  “We hope to see even more regional representation in the competition than we’ve had in past years — which has already been pretty regional,” Bryan Boots, managing director…

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Plug and Play innovation summit unleashing Topeka’s animal health, agtech potential

By Tommy Felts / March 3, 2020

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. TOPEKA…

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Chase McAnulty, Charlie Hustle; TeamKC

Charlie Hustle named TeamKC MVP for KC Heart icon, unveils trio of summer charity events

By Tommy Felts / March 2, 2020

Charlie Hustle’s KC Heart icon gained regional notoriety after a high-profile association with the World Series-winning Kansas City Royals, but now the brand is helping put Kansas City on the global stage with its simple, but historically-rooted design, said TeamKC. The vintage-inspired clothing company earned the TeamKC MVP award Friday for its work to collaborate,…

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