Minority-Led

Olathe startup remixes graduation apparel for students with hair that won’t fit the mold (or cap)

By Tommy Felts / April 14, 2023

Graduation is an important time in a young person’s life, said Rashawnda Wright, noting students should look and feel their best on perhaps the biggest day of their educational careers. After watching her daughter, Myayla, struggle to wear her graduation cap atop her big, curly hair, Wright was inspired to come up with a solution.…

Equal Minded Cafe serves a wealth of wins as taste buds power Troost bistro’s word-of-mouth appeal

By Tommy Felts / April 12, 2023

Dontavious Young will happily brew customers at Equal Minded Cafe a chai or latte, but his main goal is to blend ideas, not ingredients. “Our mission is to provide resources, opportunities, and connections to people from all districts of Kansas City,” said Young, the property owner, event coordinator, and cafe manager at Equal Minded Cafe.…

Wanderfest returns April 23 to Midtown alongside Flavorpak jam and other Tower East oddities

By Tommy Felts / April 11, 2023

After a four-year hiatus, community members are once again invited to wander and explore a collection of local businesses dubbed the Tower East District for a special day of spring events. Wanderfest is returning April 23 to the area near 31st Street and Gillham Road, shared organizers — and the sisters behind Two Tone Press…

LaunchKC winner shows value with $900K pre-seed round, earns critical local support

By Tommy Felts / April 8, 2023

Kansas City’s DataAppraisal has secured $900,000 in pre-seed funding for its AI-powered proprietary software that helps healthcare organizations unlock the monetary value of their enterprise data, said Tam Tran. And the tech startup’s recent developments come after a year of earning local resources and support, its co-founder and CEO said. DataAppraisal’s unique solution contains two…

Her henna art goes far beyond copy and paste; how one Kansan’s craft (and kindness) went TikTok viral

By Tommy Felts / April 7, 2023

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to Go Topeka, which seeks economic success for all companies and citizens across Shawnee County through implementation of an aggressive economic development strategy that capitalizes…