Posts by Tommy Felts
Exited founders: Face the tough conversations first; avoid a messy post-honeymoon breakup
Preparing for an exit begins with co-founder alignment at the startup’s launch, three veteran Kansas City founders agreed. “You are getting married to your founders,” explained Tony Caudill, who co-founded two tech startups with his best friend — including aware3, which was acquired in 2018 by Nelnet. “Just like when you find your mate of…
Read MoreHy-Vee’s small biz competition sends Midwest entrepreneurs racing for $50K checkout; Here are the winners
BaKIT Box, a Chicago-based subscription service offering baking kits inspired by diverse global cuisines, took home the $30,000 grand prize at the 2024 Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit. Shelley Gupta, the founder and CEO of BaKIT Box, was thrilled to receive the grand prize, she said. “It feels incredible,” Gupta said. “I flew here last…
Read MoreHow city dollars could help crime victims get back to business; Mayor unveils new fund to support struggling entrepreneurs
A newly introduced fund aimed at helping KCMO small businesses recover from and prevent property crimes — offering grants up to $3,000 for damage repairs and $5,000 for security upgrades — is a step in the right direction, said Joe Giammanco, whose pizza shop was recently hit by criminals. “Programs like this are going to…
Read MoreKC pet tech startup fetches $120K Techstars investment, taking founder’s pitch to Atlanta
As Kansas City-built Interplay prepares to bring its debut product to market, the pet tech startup is getting a jolt of new energy from one of the nation’s top accelerator programs. The timing couldn’t be better, said founder Jonaie Johnson, announcing Interplay’s acceptance into Techstars Atlanta & New Orleans Powered by J.P. Morgan, which welcomed…
Read MoreSwifts endorsement: KC couple opens Cadillac of Cajun restaurants along streetcar line
Richard and Sheila Swift started small: selling their Cajun cuisine out of an existing bar and grill in Kansas City, Kansas, in late 2022. Within a few months they had a loyal following. Still, they wanted their own operation. So they paused and spent a month planning their next step. They formed an LLC, splurged…
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