Posts by Tommy Felts
Wave Money: H&R Block deposits its $405M startup investment into small business banking
A year to the day after its acquisition by Kansas City tax giant H&R Block, Wave Financial is churning up change in the sea of small business banking. The Toronto,Canada-based fintech company announced Thursday the launch of Wave Money — a first-of-its-kind small business banking solution that eliminates banking fees, has built-in bookkeeping, and gives business…
Read MoreEmployer survey: KC digital media talent weak on tech, soft skills — even with a college degree
Area colleges and universities are falling short in preparing graduates for careers in digital media, a new study suggests. Cross-industry collaborations could help fill in the missing pixels. “The survey really highlights some gaps that are preventing the industry from moving forward,” explained Ron Green, executive director of digiSTORY KC — a Kansas City-based non-profit…
Read MoreBusiness, civic leader: Chains of slavery were built for profit (then and now) — together we must dismantle them
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Jeff Simon is managing partner of Husch Blackwell’s Kansas City office. Simon is currently on the board of STARTLAND, the parent organization of Startland News, and previously served as president of the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, chair of the Kansas City…
Read MoreMilkman of CBD: How closing KC Hemp Co’s storefront helped deliver a 600-percent sales increase
A new strain of strategy has KC Hemp Co. going all in on eCommerce, its owners said, announcing the company has permanently closed its downtown Overland Park retail space — transitioning to online sales and limited same-day delivery. “We’ve been able to cut over 80 percent of our overhead,” explained Kyle Steppe, who owns KC…
Read MoreDonations drop as KC reopens — but need for help outlasts COVID’s peak, says Merry Outlaw
Merry Outlaw’s quick pivot to a COVID-19 Mutual Aid app raised $11,000 in a little over a month — but donations slowed as people turned their eyes back to “normal life,” said Lindsay Smith. “Our first month we hit $10,000 — and you don’t want to get discouraged about this — but in the beginning,…
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