Education

UMKC pitch competition brings validating relief, cash prizes for emerging founders with big ideas

By Tommy Felts / April 13, 2024

A popular UMKC pitch competition awarded more than $80,000 in cash prizes to student and full-time entrepreneurs Friday — validating new ideas and emerging ventures alike.  “I never saw anything like this when I was in college,” said Dr. Brandy Archie, founder of AskSAMIE, who competed in a category especially for established startups at the University…

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KU spinout earns $180K+ in prizes at business plan competition; students going full-time with startup

By Tommy Felts / April 11, 2024

LAWRENCE, Kansas — A sustainable engineering startup that emerged from the University of Kansas took fifth place in a recent business competition at Rice University in Houston, earning more than $180,000 in prizes and an opportunity to make history for the founders’ alma mater. Icorium Engineering, the first-ever team from Kansas to compete in the…

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She refused to back down; how this gamechanger earned a spot on the field with the KC Current 

By Tommy Felts / April 9, 2024

As a history-making season rolls on for the Kansas City Current, a recent match proved the perfect opportunity to honor the founder and CEO of WeCode KC, said Christina Lively, detailing Tammy Buckner’s selection as the first “Gamechanger” award winner. “Tammy’s story is the perfect example of pursuing your dream and refusing to back down…

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KU Innovation Park hires former Tech Venture Studio leader to support its entrepreneurs

By Tommy Felts / April 9, 2024

LAWRENCE, Kansas — An entrepreneurial support expert who made his entry into the Kansas City startup ecosystem through the UMKC Innovation Center, Chris Rehkamp is now building founder relationships at a business incubator in Kansas. KU Innovation Park today announced Rehkamp’s new role as director of business services at the nonprofit economic development organization’s sprawling…

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Bloch faculty duo earn $200K grant toward effort to disrupt social media echo chambers

By Tommy Felts / April 5, 2024

Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Click here to read the original story. In the digital realm where algorithms reign supreme, Alex Krause Matlack and Bryan C. Boots from the UMKC Henry W. Bloch School of Management aim to create a tool that disrupts the social media landscape,…

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