Corporate

Maria Flynn, Techstars Kansas City

Techstars closes Kansas City accelerator as global network focuses on larger-growth markets

By Tommy Felts / December 21, 2021

Techstars is discontinuing its long-running Kansas City program, the global accelerator network confirmed Tuesday, with the 2021 cohort expected to be the last group hosted in the metro. “Techstars has made a strategic decision to focus on larger-growth markets, and therefore does not plan to add companies through a Kansas City program in the immediate…

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Cerner

KC tech powerhouse Cerner sells to Oracle in $28.3B deal; buyer says it will grow local presence

By Tommy Felts / December 20, 2021

Months of speculation officially came to an end Monday as Kansas City-headquartered Cerner announced its exit to Oracle — the global cloud giant’s largest-ever acquisition at $28.3 billion in equity value. The largest private employer in the Kansas City metro, Cerner’s medical records solutions have developed over the course of four decades into a transformational healthcare…

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Kansas City skyline, December 2021

Survey: 97 percent of KC businesses expect same or better performance in 2022

By Tommy Felts / December 9, 2021

Business executives in the Kansas City metro expressed optimism about what lies ahead in 2022 — despite lingering pandemic-related challenges, according to newly released local and regional survey results from First Business Bank. “There are always multiple dimensions of the story to consider, but 2021 was a big improvement over 2020, and with employment increasing across…

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Ignition Lab image courtesy of Black & Veatch

Teen STEM lab championed by Travis Kelce goes zero-carbon solar with boost from KC corporate leaders

By Tommy Felts / December 9, 2021

A solar installation at Operation Breakthrough’s new Ignition Lab on Troost Avenue is expected to power the STEM space for students — made possible by a team of Kansas City corporate leaders committed to clean energy and support for the Travis Kelce-backed complex. Mounted atop a central canopy at the site, the project is set to…

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John Sherman, Kansas City Royals; image courtesy of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce

Kansas Citian of the Year: Royals owner’s work echoes legacy of Ewing Kauffman

By Tommy Felts / November 24, 2021

A startup veteran and newfound Kansas City icon has been named Kansas Citian of the Year. John Sherman, controlling owner of the Kansas City Royals and founder of LPG Services Group and Inergy L.P., was surprised with the honor Tuesday night during the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s 134th annual dinner.  “I was having…

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