Minority-Led

Boddle scores $25K AT&T Aspire audience award thanks to tough love on duo’s most difficult pitch

By Tommy Felts / December 9, 2019

Just because a pitch is tough doesn’t mean it won’t payoff, said Clarence Tan.  “Smiles will take you miles,” Tan, CEO and cofounder of Boddle Learning, said of his and co-founder Edna Martinson’s latest pitch at the AT&T Pitches and Purpose contest in San Francisco — the pair’s most difficult presentation to date, they said…

Helix Health finds ‘enlightening’ support in Spencer Fane’s new STARTUP Lab, co-founder says

By Tommy Felts / December 4, 2019

Spencer Fane’s STARTUP Lab already is having an impact on its first selected company, Helix Health, said Aaron Deacon. “It has been a really enlightening experience for me,” said Deacon, co-founder of Helix Health alongside Anurag Patel, explaining support from the law firm. “To have the advice and help from other people who know how…

Photos: Culture pops as Kritiq puts KC’s fashion family on the runway

By Tommy Felts / November 26, 2019

The evolution of the Kritiq fashion show — from a one-night event to a full weekend showcasing up-and-coming artists and fashion designers in streetwear and high fashion — was an intentional effort to reflect Kansas City’s booming creative landscape, said Mark Launiu. “The culture [of Kansas City] is changing and we have to be a…

KCultivator Q&A: Dan Smith coaches retail potential from within east side entrepreneurs

By Tommy Felts / November 22, 2019

Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The KCultivator Series is sponsored by Plexpod, a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes. As Dan Smith looked around Kansas City, he saw his hometown continuously…

OHUB needs whole community to achieve vision of ecosystem inclusion, leaders say 

By Tommy Felts / November 21, 2019

Opportunity Hub isn’t an exclusive club, said Rodney Sampson. “What I would like to see is greater collaboration with the existing players already on the ground,” explained Sampson, founder of the Opportunity Hub (OHUB), noting that his organization’s goal to foster entrepreneurship within Kansas City’s minority communities doesn’t mean animosity toward the broader startup landscape.  …