Storytailor

Recent Articles by Storytailor

Sports tech founder: Team’s years of work laid groundwork for Forbes 30 Under 30 honor

December 7, 2023

Being named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for sports — alongside athletes like Lamar Jackson, Kyle Kuzma, and Ronald Acuna — adds more fuel to the fire for Austin Barone, the 29-year-old co-founder of Just Play Sports Solutions. “The growth we have experienced over the past few years has been tremendous, so to receive this…

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KC Rainbow Tour highlights LGBTQ+ history: You can legislate us, but our stories keep us alive

December 5, 2023

Kansas City’s LGBTQ+ history is one of its best kept secrets, Joel Barrett said, explaining his journey to share a wealth of local lore with residents and visitors alike. The KC Rainbow Tour — a free, 90-minute self-guided driving tour — uses the VoiceMap app to highlight about 20 destinations with LGBTQ+ significance, including the…

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Baller move: With hometown Costco deal taking shape, Mitzi Dulan is getting her own protein-fueled boost — a first paycheck 

December 5, 2023

Mitzi Dulan’s dream of shopping for her SimplyFUEL protein balls at her local Costco has finally come true, she shared: a goal seven years in the rolling. As of Dec. 1, the Midwest region of the wholesale giant — which includes 114 locations in Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky,…

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‘Those are fighting words’: Why Weston Bergmann won’t stop until ‘The Blox’ changes every challenger’s life

December 5, 2023

With the largest live-in startup competition now available on Amazon Prime Video, the stakes have never been higher and the potential never greater for “The Blox” — a show where the reality TV format is mined to turn entrepreneur education into entertainment. “The demand to be on the show has exponentially grown, and with it…

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Team behind KC Current, CPKC Stadium honored as Entrepreneurs of the Year

December 2, 2023

Chris and Angie Long scored another big win Thursday — joining the roster of Kansas Citians honored as UMKC’s Entrepreneurs of the Year — amid an evening that celebrated the world of athletics and the leaders who make the KC sports scene shine.  “We feel very proud that we have set a bar,” said Angie…

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UMKC’s Student Entrepreneur of the Year sees business potential in KC’s diverse futbol ecosystem

December 2, 2023

Lesly Romo couldn’t shake an idea bouncing around in her mind for the past few years: a venture she ultimately would call Golazo, a multi-faceted soccer facility that offers the world’s diverse forms of futbol all in one place. Recently named UMKC Student Entrepreneur of the Year, Romo first conceived the concept during her freshman…

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InvestMidwest aims to turn connections into dollars; startups can apply to pitch now

December 1, 2023

Attending InvestMidwest as an audience member was so impactful for Nick Love that the Love Lifesciences co-founder hopes to pitch his own company when the startup-investor conference and showcase returns this spring to Kansas City — for the first time since 2019. “InvestMidwest allowed us to speak with investors, but was also structured such that…

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Bill to help ease veterans’ transition from military to business passes US House with KC leaders in the trenches

December 1, 2023

A legislative effort to boost support for U.S. military veterans pursuing a new chapter as entrepreneurs now heads to the U.S. Senate — buoyed by broad partisan support and championed by two members of Kansas City’s congressional delegation. The Successful Entrepreneurship for Reservists and Veterans SERV Act successfully passed in the U.S. House of Representatives this…

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Porter House KC earns $400K in renewed support for inclusive entrepreneurship, retail incubator 

December 1, 2023

Support from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation is expected to help The Porter House KC make good on its founders’ promise to help emerging entrepreneurs in their community get their promising ventures off the ground, said Dan Smith. “Like many of the small business owners that we encounter, we started our organization based on a need…

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Black Pantry expands to Troost, setting a cornerstone for new Black business hub 

December 1, 2023

A second location for the Black Pantry is about more than adding a “cool little gift shop” to Troost, said Brian Roberts, detailing his plan for a broader mission: a whole block of Black-owned businesses and a hub for Black entrepreneurs and creatives. It begins with Roberts’ in-the-works standalone space at 3108 Troost Ave., he…

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