Minority-Led

White House vs ‘startup slump’: New executive order puts feds on notice in bid to reverse innovation decline

By Tommy Felts / July 20, 2021

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Victor Hwang is the founder and CEO of the Right to Start movement. Click here to learn more about Right to Start, a campaign to drive economic recovery and advance economic justice. This commentary originally appeared on Inc.com and is republished with permission…

New voice on capital access: If people aren’t already at the table, move the table to them

By Tommy Felts / July 16, 2021

Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial supporter of Startland News. This story was produced independently by Startland News’s nonprofit newsroom. From teller to business banker, Shakia Webb worked nearly every bank job, she recalled.  “Each role literally prepared me for the next,” Webb told Startland News, detailing her well-rounded resume and…

Former Starbucks CEO, C2FO’s Sandy Kemper join Morgan Stanley exec for ‘Nothing to Fear’ DEI conversation

By Tommy Felts / July 13, 2021

Top business leaders are now embracing diversity and inclusion, Carla Harris said, but even their most sincere initiatives must survive the fear that comes with changing trends and an inevitable economic downturn. “Fear has no place in your success equation,” said Harris, a 33-year Wall Street veteran and Morgan Stanley executive who headlines Thursday’s Innovation…

They met in Ecuador, relocated to KC; now one couple is wrapping the culture gap with native blankets 

By Tommy Felts / July 10, 2021

Editor’s note: The following story — a spotlight on a member of the Plexpod community — is sponsored by Plexpod, a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes. A Kansas City company’s mission to connect U.S. consumers to native blankets ethically produced by artisans in Ecuador is…

Survival took more than just PPP — but federal relief proved pivotal, small biz owners tell Davids

By Tommy Felts / July 10, 2021

Sharice Davids strolled through downtown Overland Park Friday afternoon — with an ice cream cone in hand — stopping to meet with local small business owners to hear their pandemic survival stories and how federal relief programs played a role.  “Today has been really fun; to see just how innovative … the problem-solving modes that…