Posts by Tommy Felts
Peek inside: Project Commons teen accelerator pilot aims for ‘innovation, collaboration, impact’
Innovation is growing on the third floor of Goodwill’s East Crossroads center, enabling Kansas City’s next generation to take ownership of their city. “We really wanted to sort of address their needs, hear more about their voice and engage with them,” William Dowdell, program director at Hire KC, said of the 21 students who make…
Read MoreTwo novice gardeners in an Olathe lab could harvest Kansas’ first legal hemp harvest
Potential for a high-yield payoff grows with each day as Michael Wilson and James DeWitt inch closer to their first hemp harvest — likely the first in the state in modern times, they said. “It’s the jumping off point to create a repeatable process,” said DeWitt, co-founder and CEO at United American Hemp. “We’ve learned…
Read MoreTea-Biotics bottles $1.2M in quick funding round; taps into thirsty new markets for kombucha
From jar-lined countertops in her kitchen to a 13,000-square-foot facility brimming with brew tanks, Lisa Bledsoe’s mission to pour Kansas City a more refreshing bottle of “booch” is scaling fast, she explained over a freshly tapped glass of her “Beachlife”-flavored kombucha. “I think it can be an inspiration for younger women or even other women…
Read MoreLG Electronics tech expert: Kansas City a smart home for corporate-startup collaboration (IXKC photos)
Tech industry giants see significant potential in the ideas being created in startup hubs like Kansas City, an LG Electronics leader told a crowd gathered this week at Homebase. “A lot of startup companies can bring innovation to the front. Big companies like ours, sometimes we’re so busy that we lose track of that activity,”…
Read More5-year-old shark bite survivor returns to the ocean with help of SharkOFF wearable, founder says
A sweet taste of its do-good mission has Kansas City-based SharkOff eyeing new ideas, explained Shea Geist, recounting the tale of 5-year-old Violet Jalil’s journey back into the ocean. “Several months ago we got a big order from [Violet’s mom,] Jessica [Veatch], and she commented when she put in her order, talking about her daughter…
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