Minority-Led

Best-in-show FitBark pet tech now groomed for 2019 launch on FitBit

By Tommy Felts / December 17, 2018

Kansas City-bred FitBark is set to unleash a new partnership with industry-leading fitness wearable FitBit in early 2019, the company announced Monday. “For many of us, happiness is about helping others achieve their goals,” said Davide Rossi, CEO and co-founder of FitBark. “We may not have the motivation to get in the gym every day,…

KCultivator Q&A: Edgar Palacios talks Latinx representation, his ballsy inspiration

By Tommy Felts / December 7, 2018

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 WeWork Corrigan Station, a modern twist on Kansas City office space. Proportionate cultural and ethnic representation can be life-altering for young people — especially in the classroom, said Edgar Palacios.…

App to help flex Disabled But Not Really reach beyond KC gyms, says Wesley Hamilton

By Tommy Felts / December 6, 2018

A new fitness and wellness app is expected to help Disabled But Not Really go global with its impact, said Wesley Hamilton. “This app is going to benefit those that cannot go through our program but are still determined to learn and change their physical well being,” said Hamilton, founder and executive director of the…

Order here: Menufy online restaurant platform delivers results, food from OP startup

By Tommy Felts / December 5, 2018

Servicing the online orders of more than 300 restaurants in the Kansas City metro, Overland Park-based Menufy is scaling its platform across the U.S., while maintaining a startup mindset, said Ashishh Desai. “Even though now we have over 4,000 restaurants nationwide — every state but Vermont and in 1,200 cities — we still have that…

Onward scores $1M grant from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for payday loan end-run

By Tommy Felts / December 4, 2018

Everyone needs a financial cushion, said Ronnie Washington — even a fintech startup offering low- to moderate-income workers a path to avoid predatory lending practices, the Onward founder said. A member of KC-based Fountain City Fintech’s inaugural cohort, Onward is one of 10 companies from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico being awarded $1 million…