Posts by Tommy Felts
Meet 13 small businesses leading the way on DEI as Chamber’s Equity Award finalists
Some of Kansas City’s youngest companies and startups are among the most committed to achieving DEI goals in the workforce, the Chamber said this week, releasing finalists for its 2021 Small Business Equity Award. The contenders: 13 leading businesses — ranging from lifestyle brands and tech startups to a Kansas City talent agency and an addiction…
Read MoreGirls in ‘tough-boy’ jobs: Young welders torch outdated beads on what’s possible
Vanessa Bello and Adriana Figueroa feel a rush of adrenaline as they gear up in their welding uniforms and watch their blueprints come to life — it’s a feeling everyone deserves to experience, regardless of gender, they shared. “It’s all dark but you see this little light while welding; then when you take off your…
Read MoreMenufy’s online ordering platform helped restaurants survive 2020; now the KC-built company is serving a scale up
The startup course has been cleared for Leawood-plated Menufy as the tech company emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic ready to serve its customers a new identity while doubling down on its decade-old mission to empower restaurateurs. “The pandemic initially complicated things, then accelerated things and kept things complicated. … We don’t really think of ourselves…
Read MoreClara Biotech hits $850K in seed funding roundup, preparing to launch first product
An emerging biotech startup in the region is reporting a busy spring with a significant seed round already raised and key steps under way to launch its product: a solution that removes manufacturing roadblocks for breakthrough drugs. “We’re in an exciting and growing space and currently have low regulatory hurdles in the research stage,” said…
Read MoreKC pitmaster joins celebrity chefs in ‘BBQ Brawl’; how reality TV pulled Burnt Finger’s pork through 2020 smoke
When Megan Day hits the screen Monday on Food Network, the Lee’s Summit pitmaster, entrepreneur and veteran of TV appearances — from BBQ battles to morning talk shows — could face her greatest challenge to date, she said. “This was a completely different style of competition,” Day, co-founder and face of Burnt Finger BBQ, said of…
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