Posts by Tommy Felts
UMKC pitch contest returning with $90K in prizes; spots remain for emerging startups
The 2023 edition of the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge (RVCC), an annual pitch competition hosted by UMKC, is expected to award $90,000 in equity-free funding to student entrepreneurs and Kansas City businesses. Ben Williams, managing director at the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, shared his excitement for this year’s event — set for April…
Read MoreHe’s building a more welcoming (and eco-friendly) KC, but this entrepreneur’s vision comes with a catch: It isn’t a one-man job
Reda Ibrahim’s home is open to everyone, he shared, especially for those who feel like they don’t belong anywhere. “I have a big magnet toward everyone who doesn’t fit in. I faced a lot of racism; I have faced the struggle to be accepted. [When I came to the United States] seven, eight years ago,…
Read MoreArt Junkez put Chicano custom culture on canvas with a colorful salute to family roots
The Art Junkez — a venture crafted by a Westside-raised brother and sister and their spouses — set out to create “something out of nothing” in celebration of their Mexican-American heritage, Selena Moran and Jaime Calderon shared. Growing up, it wasn’t easy to find gifts that reflected their culture — like something for their grandma…
Read MoreHow ‘raving fans’ in small town Kansas built this govtech startup’s sales funnel
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 Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures (EGV), a business unit of NetWork Kansas supporting innovative, high-growth entrepreneurs in the State of Kansas. MANHATTAN, Kansas — A trio of govtech…
Read MoreRoyals announce gaming partnership with KC’s premier esports org: We share the same DNA
The Kansas City Royals on Monday announced a partnership with one of the fastest-growing esports organizations in North America: the Kansas City Pioneers. Among the first partnerships of its kind in the MLB, the move represents an opportunity to connect two passionate fan bases — baseball fans and fans of gaming, the Royals said in…
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