All Stories

Social Side Effect: Kilee Nickels says Instagram built Nickel & Suede (and the proof is in the postings) 

By Tommy Felts / November 21, 2019

Editor’s note: Social Side Effect is an ongoing profile series that identifies the intersection between social influencing and entrepreneurship   When customers care, business is better and social media proves it, said Kilee Nickels.  “Having Instagram, having Facebook, having a blog, definitely got our business started and kept us going for so long,” added Nickels, CEO…

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AccessAble Living

AccessAble Living: $10K prize will help AltCap Your Biz winner speed services to seniors

By Tommy Felts / November 21, 2019

A medical supply startup designed to help Kansas Citians age in place earned judges’ seal of approval — and $10,000 — in the 2019 AltCap Your Biz Competition. “I hope this is a jumpstart for us to help solve a common healthcare problem,” said Dr. Brandy Archie, director of AccessAble Living, Wednesday night during Global…

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Joel Goldberg, JG Broadcasting LLC

Crafting a side hustle? Your motivation better be more than money, advises Royals broadcaster-turned-podcast host

By Tommy Felts / November 19, 2019

Any idea is possible with a little passion behind it — so long as there’s a why, explained Joel Goldberg.  “When you start everything with, ‘What, where, when, why and how,’ and you answer those questions or ask someone to help you answer those questions … [there’s no limit to] how far you’ll go,” Goldberg, veteran…

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Tom Gray, Make48, and John Lederer, National Hardware Show

Make48’s 48-hour TV maker competition going nationwide for Season 4; live events planned

By Tommy Felts / November 19, 2019

It’s back to KC for Make48 as the reality competition for inventors heads home to film Season 4.  “Our current coverage is over 90 percent saturation of American homes, so its getting some good traction,” Tom Gray, CEO of Kansas City-based Make48, said ahead of filming — which is slated for March 5-7, 2020, at…

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Richard Neal, Brendan Reilly and Dan Scott, Lelex Prime

Two startup support programs helped Lelex Prime score Fountain Innovation Fund’s first investment

By Tommy Felts / November 19, 2019

An interconnected, resource-rich startup ecosystem is paying off for Lelex Prime — contributing to the fast-growing artificial intelligence company’s development and boosting its chances to win the Fountain Innovation Fund’s first cash infusion, said Brendan Reilly. “The Digital Sandbox helped us land this investment,” said Reilly, co-founder and principal at Lelex Prime, which joined the…

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Corrigan 2 by Copaken Brooks

Before signing the lease: Examine your startup’s culture, protect against surprises

By Tommy Felts / November 19, 2019

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Ryan Biery, SIOR, is senior vice president of brokerage at Copaken Brooks, a commercial real estate agency in Kansas City. That moment when they hand you the keys. That’s a good moment for your startup or small business. It’s a sense of excitement,…

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UMKC celebrates Maria Meyers for driving social entrepreneurship, ecosystem building in KC

By Tommy Felts / November 16, 2019

Kansas City’s most tenacious advocate, Maria Meyers has built far more than a legacy for herself, proclaimed Mary Bloch. “I first met Maria Meyers in the mid-90s when we were both involved in the renovation of Union Station,” Bloch, civic leader and daughter-in-law of H&R Bloch founder Henry W. Bloch, said as she recognized Meyers,…

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Entrepreneur of the Year: Michael Rea says building a startup takes a ‘strong stomach’

By Tommy Felts / November 16, 2019

The road to startup success isn’t a clear path for anyone, acknowledged Michael Rea, and it takes a founder’s persistence to reach his or her desired destination. “Many people set out on an entrepreneurial journey, but few complete it,” Rea, founder and CEO of Rx Savings Solutions, told a crowd gathered Friday night for the…

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Linda Bernier, Spoke Health

Launch Health check-up: Spoke Health aims to give consumers value-based choices in care

By Tommy Felts / November 15, 2019

Editor’s note: The following is part of a series of stories on the six cohort companies of the Launch Health Accelerator, powered by Nueterra Capital and sponsored by LaunchKC. Click here to read all the stories published in this series. Medical experiences are taxing — Spoke Health aims to cut the stress and give patients…

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Sarah Hill, StoryUp

Launch Health check-up: Healium by StoryUp leverages new connections to stress its healing power

By Tommy Felts / November 15, 2019

Editor’s note: The following is part of a series of stories on the six cohort companies of the Launch Health Accelerator, powered by Nueterra Capital and sponsored by LaunchKC. Click here to read all the stories published in this series. More than a million dollars in funding and a relationship with the founder of Tinder…

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