Storytailor

Recent Articles by Storytailor

Lawrence-based Sweet Jane magazine offers safe space for women to get candid about cannabis

October 29, 2019

Satisfying her own curiosity, Katy Ibsen penned an article on cannabis opportunities for publishers.  “There were niche magazines being published, there were B2B magazines being published, there was ‘High Times’ and ‘Dope,’” Ibsen, now founder, editor and publisher of Sweet Jane magazine, said of her research for the piece.  A 10-year publishing vet with a…

Cannabis founder’s advice: Weed out the bad seeds; run green startups like real businesses

October 29, 2019

Cannabis might seem like it presents a Wild West frontier for entrepreneurs looking to strike green, said Michael Wilson, but would-be founders must cultivate a plan grounded in common sense — and the law. “In the industrial hemp or marijuana space, if you want to build a successful business, run it like a real damn…

Show Me Hyperloop: Missouri panel confident it can win route with $300M+ test track

October 28, 2019

If Missouri wants to win the race for a Virgin Hyperloop One route connecting Kansas City and St. Louis, the Show Me State must foot the bill for a 12- to 15-mile test track that could cost taxpayers, the state and private partners more than $300 million, according to a new report.  “This initial segment…

Cyber threats and opportunities: Why did 50+ KC schoolgirls get a peek at Fishtech’s high-security campus?

October 26, 2019

You never know when an opportunity will find you, Alex Vendetti told a group of Kansas City high school girls touring the Fishtech Group cybersecurity campus.  “I was a hairstylist before this,” Vendetti, a project manager at Fishtech, told groups of students making their ways through the cybersecurity startup’s sprawling Martin City facilities Friday. The…

Emoji My City launches its hometown emoji keyboard with winks to iconic Kansas City

October 26, 2019

Kansas City scenes from the Kauffman Center to 18th and Vine. Winks to local trends and celebrities. A playful push puts whimsical KC in the mobile devices of hometown fans and visitors alike. And it comes courtesy of the team that helped rebrand Kansas City’s now-iconic logo in 2013. In the age of digital marketing,…

Walkin and Rollin, KC maker community treat kids with limited mobility to custom Halloween costumes

October 25, 2019

The children in Reese Davis’ preschool class were often standoffish around him.  “He was the only kid they knew in a wheelchair,” recalled his father, Lon Davis, founder of Walkin and Rollin Costumes — a Kansas City-based non-profit that builds costumes for kids in walkers and wheelchairs, free of charge.   “They didn’t really know how…

Digital Sandbox KC selects diverse health, AI and filmmaking startups for latest funding

October 24, 2019

The latest trio of Digital Sandbox KC companies pushes the proof-of-concept program deeper into Johnson County with a new Overland Park partnership. “This group showcases the wide spectrum of businesses assisted by the Sandbox, from a data platform for creative filmmakers and studios, to improved patient care in asthma, to biologics in regenerative medicine,” said…

Woman-led PEPPR sets table for simplified event planning with platform cooked in KC kitchens

October 23, 2019

A veteran of the restaurant industry thanks to her family’s long-simmering connections to Kansas City kitchens, Lyndsey Gruber stood as a woman on her own Wednesday at 1 Million Cups. “It’s just me,” Gruber, CEO and founder of PEPPR, told Startland News before the event, which served as a mid-point of Women’s Empowerment Week and…

InnovateKC: City pivots to startup-in-residence program to leverage local tech ingenuity

October 23, 2019

A new administration equals a new spin on established ideas, Nia Richardson explained, previewing the launch of Kansas City’s InnovateKC program.  “I literally had a 45-minute conversation with [former city innovation officer] Bob Bennett before he walked out the door. He sent me an email with some notes and I had to pick it up…

KC-tested GoGetter uses AI to bring back human interaction in hiring talent (minus the middleman)

October 23, 2019

As a software contractor at Cerner for two years, Naga Rayapati saw more than 40 percent of his paycheck go into the pockets of middlemen, he said. “While the contractor puts in their heart and soul working for the company, these ‘preferred vendors’ reap the benefits,” said Rayapati, referring to third parties in the hiring…