All Stories

Quoleshna Elbert, Community Local, and Victoria Bowman, Bow Designs by Spherea

Mother-daughter businesses connected by sustainability, faith, yearning for community

By Tommy Felts / June 7, 2018

Quoleshna Elbert wants to get — and give — the most bang for her buck, she said. “I’m the person who wants to kill three birds with one stone,” explained the founder of Community Local, an eco-friendly T-shirt brand based in Kansas City. Such drive is hereditary. “We want to be able to go deeper…

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17-year-old entrepreneurs find financial, moral support for My Social Gain

By Tommy Felts / June 7, 2018

Entrepreneurship brought Jaden Evans and Benicio Baeza together, they said. The two juniors at Truman High School in Independence, Missouri, started the social media marketing company My Social Gain in early 2018 after realizing the power of social media for companies. Though the company is only a few months old, My Social Gain already has…

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‘We’re a big damn deal!’ KC is an underground fintech hub, says Zach Pettet

By Tommy Felts / June 7, 2018

Editor’s note: Zach Pettet is the Fintech Strategist at nbkc bank, with which Startland News has partnered on an upcoming Innovation Exchange event. Opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Kansas City is the United States’ underground financial center. Over the years, many financial juggernauts have been born and grown up in Kansas…

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Boomn

Traditional marketing tactics fail to wow consumers, Boomn startup says

By Tommy Felts / June 6, 2018

If an idea doesn’t prompt a “Heck yeah!” response from the team at Boomn, it gets an “Um, no” verdict, said Ryan O’Connell. A data-driven and performance-based digital marketing company, KC-based Boomn works primarily with ecommerce brands. Such clients range from food and beverage companies to TV and YouTube personalities, said O’Connell, Boomn’s chief operating…

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KC Pinoy

Video: ‘Have you eaten?’ KC Pinoy adds food math to flavorful Filipino fare

By Tommy Felts / June 6, 2018

Editor’s note: The following content about Chrissy Nucum’s KC Pinoy is sponsored by Mid-Continent Public Library but independently produced by Startland News. KC Pinoy food truck’s last customer of the day was aptly named: Lucky. “We’ve had a good enough day to break a hundred [dollar bill],” owner Chrissy Nucum told the diner at the…

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Blue Hills incubator

Blue Hills incubator merging with mission-based urban core developer

By Tommy Felts / June 5, 2018

A catalyst for change within the neighborhoods surrounding Prospect Avenue, the Blue Hills incubator is expected to continue serving entrepreneurs after merging with a leading development group in the urban core. The not-for-profit formed by combining the expertise of Blue Hills Community Services and Swope Community Builders aims to reclaim areas of Kansas City by…

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2018 Sprint Accelerator Demo Day

Hungry Sprint Accelerator startups bite into corporate partnerships at Demo Day (Photos)

By Tommy Felts / June 5, 2018

Winning a mother’s trust is a big deal, said Michael Moran, founder of MoPro, a high-protein, low-sugar Greek yogurt that was among the 2018 Sprint Accelerator cohort’s dairy-centric startups. But what’s perhaps even better than earning Mom’s blessing? Winning financial support from a key backer. Dairy Farmers of America announced a partnership with MoPro Tuesday…

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Wesley Hamilton, WeWork Creator Awards

Can KC founders replicate success with WeWork Creator Awards?

By Tommy Felts / June 4, 2018

After two area founders snagged sizable cash prizes in past contests, a global coworking giant is re-igniting the WeWork Creator Awards competition to recognize entrepreneurs’ work. WeWork plans to dish out at least $238,000 and up to $634,000 in awards to the Eastern United States’ region, which includes Kansas City in this year’s contest parameters. WeWork…

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KCSourceLink All-Star

Batters up! Voting now open for KCSourceLink All-Star competition

By Tommy Felts / June 4, 2018

When the Royals take the field June 18 at Kauffman Stadium, more than a dozen freshly crowned KCSourceLink All-Star honorees will be catching accolades. But first: You have to vote. KCSourceLink’s final round of balloting has begun for the All-Star selection, which coincides with the network’s 15-year celebration during Entrepreneur Day at the K. Dozens…

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Build an app

Video: Five ways to build an app — your startup’s high-tech living organism

By Tommy Felts / June 4, 2018

Editor’s note: Continuing Startland’s mission to help area entrepreneurs and startups grow, we’re happy to share with you a video from our friends at Kansas City-based tech agency Crema. Learn more about the agency here. App development for any startup doesn’t end when the technology goes live for users. Choosing the right method to build…

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