All Stories
Techstars believes in Kansas City’s potential because of its proven track record, said Lesa Mitchell, announcing the 2020 return of the seed accelerator to the City of Fountains following a brief hiatus. “I am the luckiest person on the face of the Earth because I’m again going to run what we call a horizontal program,…
Read More >
Kansas City’s ongoing fintech momentum deserves more than a nod from analysts and trend watchers, said Zach Pettet, announcing plans for an Oct. 15 demo day that’s already taking shape as a community celebration. “We need an excuse to rally together and celebrate everything that’s happened over the past few months — especially in the…
Read More >
Hungry entrepreneurs could be the leading reason behind the return of Pitch Perfect bootcamp at the Enterprise Center in Johnson County. “[We heard from the community that] it was one of the best programs in the city for [early-stage founders],” Kathryn Golden, ECJC programs manager, said of a growing appetite for resources provided by the…
Read More >
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Laura McCoolidge is managing partner at the Sofia Fund, which recently expanded its reach to Kansas City. Religion. Gun control. Politics. Convertible notes. Why are convertible notes so controversial? Despite the controversy, this instrument has proven popular as a means for working with…
Read More >
An annual transformation of the Crossroads Arts District, SpraySeeMO paints more than graffiti-like murals, explained Lexi Walz. It creates energetic and collaborative opportunities for area businesses and talented artists. “Essentially, we’re a group of architects and designers all consumed with creating experiences and emotions through design,” said Walz, marketing and content manager at Generator Studio…
Read More >
While not a single passenger has yet stepped foot aboard Virgin’s Hyperloop One, that doesn’t mean the technology isn’t more realistic than ever before, explained Jay Walder. “People can’t really imagine what it would feel like to go 600 miles an hour,” said Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One — which pulled onto the track…
Read More >
Editor’s note: Social Side Effect is an ongoing profile series that identifies the intersection between social influencing and entrepreneurship People follow Ian Merzwinski on Instagram because they like him, the social influencer said as he explained the importance of personal brand building. “The best thing that you can do is just be consistent,” Merzwinski, founder…
Read More >
Kansas City is suddenly home to a new, heavy-hitter-backed startup with a built-in $11 million in Series A funding, Nick Bowden announced Thursday. Replica — a next-generation urban planning tool by Sidewalk Labs (itself a smart city firm owned by Alphabet, the parent company of Google) — has been spun out into its own standalone…
Read More >
Ten companies arriving Friday to LEANLAB Education’s latest fellowship are expected to be met with real-world classroom partners from nine school systems in the Kansas City metro and Colorado. “When those closest to the issues in education — teachers, parents and students — have access to cutting-edge innovators and researchers, they’ll be able to collectively…
Read More >
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…
Read More >
Join Founder's Club – Support Our Mission
Enjoy access to our email newsletter, members only Slack community, exclusive events and other member perks.