Minority-Led

Porter House KC receives $175K from JPMorgan Chase Foundation to support inclusive entrepreneurship 

By Tommy Felts / October 21, 2021

An investment by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation will help The Porter House KC fill a void in entrepreneur support programming in Kansas City, said Dan Smith. “Our goal is always to find a solution to the problem. We felt there was a gap. There was a whole population of people being missed. People who come…

Boddle raises $1.35M with KCRise Fund on board, reaches 450,000+ students, expands team

By Tommy Felts / October 21, 2021

Editor’s note: KCRise Fund is a financial supporter of Startland News. This report was produced independently of that relationship. TULSA — As schools across the country navigate in-person and remote learning models, Boddle Learning, a math gaming platform that was founded in Kansas City continues to grow, raising another round of more than $1 million…

KC social entrepreneur Wesley Hamilton surprised with $1M on Good Morning America 

By Tommy Felts / October 20, 2021

Wesley Hamilton experienced a roller coaster of emotions Wednesday morning, with a grand finale surprise of a $1 million donation from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.  “Thank you, everyone, for believing and watching the journey. It’s always been about the people we’ve been serving. I’m just grateful,” Hamilton said through joyful tears on Good Morning…

Meet 10 finalists for AltCap Your Biz pitch payout; competition returns during GEW KC

By Tommy Felts / October 19, 2021

A diverse group of nearly a dozen small businesses are advancing to the next round of the annual AltCap Your Biz: Pitch Competition with finalists ranging from a mobile vegan soul food service to a Northland selfie experience. The “Closing the Deal” live pitch event showcases the 10 best concepts from a pool of 43…

Just funded: Sharks, crowd salute veteran-led tech newcomer with $32K in Pure Pitch Rally checks

By Tommy Felts / October 19, 2021

A fresh face to the startup stage, Zachary Oshinbanjo left Monday’s Pure Pitch Rally with the most-funded venture of the event — taking home more than a third of the day’s nearly $90,000 in cash prizes. A U.S. Army veteran, Oshinbanjo pitched “land sharks” on Vetelligence — a tech platform that aims to create a…