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Overland Park’s RiskGenius crossed a finish line this week — but work remains as an exit looms, the company announced Tuesday. Columbus, Ohio-based Bold Penguin — an innovation-driven startup that rapidly increases speed-to-bind for commercial insurance — has agreed to acquire the insurtech company for an undisclosed amount, paving the way for continued dominance as the…
An intensive, 10-month application process is paying off for NEER, as the Kansas City water management startup says aloha to a Hawaii-based accelerator and a significant funding infusion. Joining the ninth cohort of Elemental Excelerator in Honolulu is a boon for NEER, having just completed the gener8tor program in Wisconsin, said Elango Thevar, founder and…
Sprouted from Venture Lab Fridays, Crema’s plant-care app Vera illustrated the possibilities of what setting aside work to grow creative and educational skills can bring, said George Brooks. The idea behind Venture Lab: use every other Friday at Crema as a time for the digital agency’s staff to temporarily step away from client work and…
Editor’s note: The following is the first in a series of stories about Kansas City fashion companies putting their own creative spin on the often-utilitarian face mask. Inspiration comes from everywhere, said Jennifer Lapka, unveiling her company’s launch of fashion masks, Dieynaba Dresses and hijabs/scarfs. “I love history and looking at historical fashion books about…
Editor’s note: The following kicks off Startland News’ Give A Start — an eight-week donor campaign seeking reader support for the nonprofit newsroom. Click here to donate. It’s a big day. Startland News is launching its first-ever donor campaign — asking our readers to join in financially supporting a nonprofit newsroom that’s helped elevate Kansas City…
Whole foods have never been so affordable, Marcelle Clements said, as Pantry Goods sews seeds of sustainability in Kansas City and consumers reap a harvest full of benefits. “I’ve always had one foot in this farming, sustainable world,” said Clements, founder of Pantry Goods, discussing her passion for the project — a virtual grocery store, stocked…
It’s obvious where Kansas City’s underserved areas for entrepreneurial and community resources fall — the east side, said Morgan Perry, noting that 22 chambers of commerce serve other portions of Jackson County. “But for Troost, for Prospect — where are the resources on the ground for them? They are no one’s focus,” said Perry, who…
While countless local restaurants have struggled through pandemic-served challenges, business has been nothing short of amazing for Brookside Pakastani staple Chai Shai, said Aasma Tufail. “I cook simple food — and people love it so much. I am so blessed, business has been better than before,” said Tufail, who owns the restaurant alongside son, Kashif,…
Ahead-of-the-curve thinking helped keep City Gym strong in the early days of COVID-19 when the weight of the pandemic dropped on people-focused industries. “We lost a fair amount of members — maybe they couldn’t financially afford it anymore, maybe they didn’t feel safe,” said Hailee Bland Walsh, founder and owner of City Gym in Waldo.…
One of Kansas City’s most under the radar startups is scaling up amid COVID-19 — thanks in part to a share of $250 thousand in non-dilutive funding from a Los Angeles-based accelerator and FDA sponsored pediatric device consortia. “When COVID hit, one of the things I took from that was, ‘When you’re not selling, your process better…