Corporate

Ruben Alonso, president, AltCap; Kelvin Perry, president, Black Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City; Karis Harrington, chief of business development, G.I.F.T.; Brandon Calloway, CEO and co-founder, G.I.F.T.; Emily Lecuyer, managing director, equity2 (not pictured, Josh Rowland, CEO and vice chairman, Lead Bank)

AltCap, GIFT, small business allies partner to expand opportunities for Black-owned ventures

By Tommy Felts / September 30, 2021

A coalition of Kansas City organizations have joined forces to launch a new partnership that will invest in the region’s Black-owned small businesses through flexible debt and equity financing, grant funding and business advisory services, the group announced Thursday. “Unfortunately, many Black entrepreneurs are left out of the financial mainstream when it comes to business…

Read More >
Sonny Patel, founder and CEO of Insurmi, with Steve Gardner and Charlotte Clark, bcp tech accelerator, and Jim Erickson, EDCKC

Chatbots to wedding insurance: Meet the four premium InsurTech startups selected for KC’s bcp tech accelerator

By Tommy Felts / September 23, 2021

Four of the industry’s most-promising seed stage startups — an international mix of insurtech solutions — are expected to be the beneficiaries of Kansas City’s extensive insurance expertise, explained Nathan Kurtz, announcing the second cohort of the LaunchKC-backed bcp tech InsurTech accelerator. “We are very insurance focused,” said Kurtz, COO of Brush Creek Partners (bcp). “And there’s…

Read More >
Technology2030 Report, Missouri Chamber

MO tech jobs pay double the state’s average wage, fueling economic growth, new report says

By Tommy Felts / September 17, 2021

Missouri’s tech industry remains a driving economic force despite widespread job loss and economic turmoil caused by COVID-19, according to a new report that details how the Show Me State is outpacing national tech growth. Among the report’s key takeaways: Average earnings for all jobs in Missouri was $64,000 in 2020, while the average earnings of…

Read More >
Conner Hazelrigg, 1773 Innovation Co., the Sunshine Box

‘Sunshine Box’ inventor earns $25K prize in pitch competition for women-led social ventures

By Tommy Felts / July 30, 2021

The woman behind a solar-paneled electric charging station built to overcome challenges found in developing nations earned the spotlight herself as Thursday’s big winner in the inaugural HI-HERImpact Kansas City pitch competition. Conner Hazelrigg, founder of 1773 Innovation Co. — the maker of the Sunshine Box — was awarded the contest’s $25,000 prize in the…

Read More >
Neal Sharma, DEG; John Thomson, PayIt; and Thalia Cherry, Cherry Co.

Junior Achievement taps startup leaders as Hall of Fame inductees, KC Innovator winner

By Tommy Felts / July 26, 2021

The newest inductees to Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City’s Business Hall of Fame play an important role in building the metro’s ecosystem of entrepreneurship, creativity, and cooperation, said Leroy McCarty. “Our 2021 Laureates exemplify the collaborative spirit that elevates Kansas City in the world of business, philanthropy, and civic engagement,” said Leroy McCarty, chairman…

Read More >