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Recent Articles by Janssen Coffee

2018 Startups to Watch: Rx Savings Solutions prescribes answer to high drug costs

January 16, 2018

Editor’s note: Startland News selected the top Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2018’s companies. To view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch, click here. When it comes to U.S. prescription drugs, it appears there’s one certainty: Prices are going up —…

2018 Startups to Watch: Super Dispatch takes shipping partners into the digital age

January 16, 2018

Editor’s note: Startland News selected the top Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2018’s companies. To view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch, click here. Super Dispatch first delivered its concept to the trucking and hauling industries with professionals and managers adopting…

Mycroft AI inks $1.75M in oversubscribed round, battling Amazon, Google

January 12, 2018

In a quiet room amid the chaos of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Mycroft AI CEO Josh Montgomery gleefully told Startland News Friday that his tech firm raised a significant seed round. Mycroft recently raised a $1.75 million round that will help the Kansas City-based artificial intelligence startup accelerate hiring plans and corporate…

Beyond Collisions: KCSourceLink duo craft book to build entrepreneurial ecosystems

January 12, 2018

When you’ve worked more than 15 years cultivating an entrepreneurial community, you’re bound to pick up a wealth of tools and insight. And in the case of Maria Meyers and Kate Hodel, the duo’s experience and knowledge have coalesced into a book that aims to provide cities a guide for how to broadly support entrepreneurs.…

KCultivator Q&A: Pedro Zamora percolates on chupacabra, HEDC, Mom’s slow-drip Folgers coffee

January 11, 2018

Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Check out our features on ‘fashionpreneur’ Jordan Williams, Plexpod founder Gerald Smith, innovation coach Diana Kander, Victor & Penny’s Erin McGrane, SEED Law’s Adrienne Haynes, Code Koalas’ Robert Manigold, Prep-KC CEO Susan Wally and community builder Donald Carter.…

Contract Canvass develops tool for future dominated by freelancers

January 11, 2018

Chris Brown is working to put his law firm out of business. The Kansas City attorney — who for years has served creative professionals across the metro — recently created a contract automation tool for freelancers, eliminating a part of his business at Venture Legal. But while Contract Canvas might disrupt a facet of his…

Ginsburg’s Podcast Preview: ‘How I Built This’ shares big-name startup success stories

January 10, 2018

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. If you’re new to either podcasts or this occasional column, click here for background information. We preview specific podcasts to reveal their topics, formats and lessons from listening. Featured Podcast  It’s a new year, and if you’re seeking free entrepreneurial inspiration to last…

Five inspiration points in Westport’s new Freedom design showroom (Photos)

January 9, 2018

Carol Espinosa bears a striking grin as she bounds up the steps to the rejuvenation area at Freedom Interiors. Palpable excitement beams through her voice. “This is possibly my favorite part of the showroom,” she says, pointing out the lush green carpeting, comfy seating and 360-degree view of the renovated space at 4000 Washington St.…

Brazil to KC: Carol Espinosa showcases path to creativity, opportunity

January 9, 2018

She arrived in the United States with just two suitcases and her own creativity, but today Carol Espinosa fills a 7,000-square-foot Westport storefront with enough modern workplace designs to unpack for weeks, she said. “This company was built from nothing,” said Espinosa, founder of Freedom Interiors. “It started with no customers, no product offerings —…

American buying habits push Swappa to $70M in 2017 hand-me-down tech sales

January 8, 2018

Grown from a one-person, side-hustle project to a team of more than 30 people, Kansas City-based Swappa is swelling. The user-to-user marketplace for buying and selling used technology enjoyed its best year to date in 2017. The platform sold more than $70 million in hand-me-down electronics in 2017 — up about 17 percent from 2016, said…