Posts by Tommy Felts
Some mysteries at historic 9th & State might never be solved — and bar owner Heather Hamilton is OK with it
Feeling invincible is a thing of the past, Heather Hamilton said, revealing a diagnosis that stopped her in her tracks and poured a change of perspective for the West Bottoms bar owner. “Knowing that I’m gene-positive for Huntington’s disease has made me even more motivated to make a difference,” Hamilton said, noting the disease has…
Read MoreAngels in class: How Mizzou’s student-run venture course is investing up to $50K in real startups
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. COLUMBIA,…
Read MoreKC Tech Council program preps veterans to face new battle: Kansas City’s workforce
Ian Whitehill went from military deployment to software bootcamp, waging a new career as a software engineering technologist at Lenexa-based Genuen thanks to KC Tech Council’s emerging apprenticeship program. “I always wanted to do something where I felt like I was contributing to society and the world around me. When I heard about the opportunity…
Read MoreKC’s first Vietnamese coffee shop brews $20K at AltCap Your Biz; other winners include an urban farm, development company and selfie studio
Cafe Cà Phê can now afford to build bathrooms in its anticipated brick-and-mortar coffee location, Jackie Nguyen teased on Instagram after being awarded the grand prize at the 2021 AltCap Your Biz: Pitch Competition. “The $20,000 will go toward helping build that out — getting new appliances, [hiring] new employees because we’ve outgrown our cart.…
Read MoreLeawood firm partners with BestyBnB on tech platform to protect domestic violence survivors, their pets
Fresh off news of its $2 million investment by a local businesswoman and prominent animal advocate, Kansas City-based startup BestyBnB this week announced a new pet reservation tech platform — built by a company in neighboring Leawood. Available on mobile and desktop, the BestyBnB web-based platform enables DV shelters to search and secure long- and short-term…
Read More

