Corporate

Pure Pitch Rally reveals competitors for its 10th crowd-funded, spot-cash pitch contest

By Tommy Felts / October 13, 2025

Eight emerging startups set to take the Pure Pitch Rally stage next month will become part of the Kansas City tech community’s evolving story, said Karen Fenaroli, touting a decade of impact that has seen millions in follow-on capital raised and thousands of jobs created across the region. “It is no longer just an event,”…

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LISTEN: Meet the partners behind Plug and Play Topeka’s growth (and impact)

By Tommy Felts / October 10, 2025

On a special episode of Startland News’ 12-part podcast series diving deeper into Plug and Play, we explore how the Topeka-based program and its partners work to turn bold ideas into Kansas success stories. Guests includes Bret Lanz from Kansas State University’s Technology Development Institute; John G. Brown of StenCo; and Cole Ahlvers from NQV8…

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Back to the people: Social venture firm connects WyCo entrepreneurs with a human-centered toolkit

By Tommy Felts / October 9, 2025

Editor’s note: The following story is presented through a paid partnership with Network Kansas. [divide] An initiative built on collaboration with business boosters already embedded in urban communities is deepening Network Kansas’ impact, said Erik Pedersen, sharing how the strategy helps more readily connect entrepreneurs to available resources like loans and technical assistance. In Wyandotte…

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Great Jobs KC aims to impact 50,000 Kansas City scholars within a decade — one life at a time

By Tommy Felts / October 8, 2025

Editor’s note: The following story was written and first published by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri (EDCKC). Click here to read the original story. [divide] Natalie Lewis is no stranger to complex work. As chief operating officer of Great Jobs KC, she oversees programs that connect thousands of Kansas Citians with scholarships, tuition-free job…

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Wichita program drives highway of resources to more KC startups; founders tout who they met along the way

By Tommy Felts / October 6, 2025

Opening its doors to Midwest companies outside Kansas for the first time, a Wichita-based program that connects startups with the tools to better engage enterprise partners offered an added benefit to Kansas City entrepreneurs: a new ecosystem of support just a few hours from home. “The program’s Wichita location inspired us to broaden our outreach…

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