News

Power player-turned-poet Pasquale Trozzolo’s new move: Write words worth a thousand pictures

By Tommy Felts / January 2, 2025

Thirty-five years after starting his own network of strategic marketing firms, Pasquale Trozzolo teases that his longtime communications journey was just the first chapter ahead of what’s to come — as one of the boldest names in Kansas City’s print history takes on a title that he admits still feels a little strange: poet. The…

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Tech takes active-shooter training beyond paper targets as deadly real-world threats rise

By Tommy Felts / January 2, 2025

COLUMBIA, Missouri — A startup’s portable target system could transform the way law enforcement agencies train for active-shooter scenarios, said Kris Knutson, a former IT consultant propelled into the govtech market amid a rise in real-world threats. Shot Bot — patented by Knutson in 2019 — provides realistic, adaptable, and comprehensive training experiences, the Missouri…

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‘Big Flour’ can’t recreate this stone-milled secret ingredient: the Kansas-grown artisan wheat in your favorite KC bakeries

By Tommy Felts / January 2, 2025

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.  NEW CAMBRIA, Kansas — Artisan flour sourced from a network of Kansas growers not only takes any batch of baking up a notch, said Ben Mantooth; it makes a better…

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How a humble DIY upbringing sparked this streetwear designer’s minimalist aesthetic

By Tommy Felts / December 27, 2024

Flaws are part of nature, says Clark Rooseveltte: Go forth and be creative (not normal) Clark Rooseveltte — already known across Kansas City as the man behind the mic (and the mixtape) — is inviting others into his world of creative living through Clvr World Goods and Supply, a lifestyle brand focused on streetwear and…

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Matt Baysinger: Choir Bar revival is just one note in Swell Spark’s chorus of experiences planned for 2025

By Tommy Felts / December 27, 2024

Developments from within Kansas City-based entertainment group Swell Spark are coming in a round this winter, said Matt Baysinger, starting with the crescendoing return of its Choir Bar group singalong experience after a five-year hiatus. “We want to create places where people can come together, relax, and try something a little different,” said Baysinger, whose…

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