News

Starlight wants to add a canopy to KC’s famed outdoor theater; Here’s what else its $40M capital campaign would bring

By Tommy Felts / October 16, 2023

Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. If fully funded, the campaign will make capital improvements across the entire Starlight campus — including the construction of a production…

Olathe brothers opening vintage clothing storefront; next-generation founder eyes serial entrepreneurship

By Tommy Felts / October 12, 2023

A pair of brothers are rolling open the garage door on their first brick-and-mortar venture this weekend, turning a curated online source for vintage clothing into a physical storefront in Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood. Thomas and Reade Rex are set to host The Rex Catalog’s grand opening 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct.…

Why Bay Area investors are shifting their gaze from tech to on-the-ground ag innovations

By Tommy Felts / October 12, 2023

Agriculture innovation is at a capital-fueled crossroads, said Josh Svaty, describing a growing appetite from well-funded West Coast investors who are hungry for high-yield Midwest solutions. Climate change — and the challenges it poses across industries — is seeding much of that interest, explained the Kansas farmer, former politician, and investor; speaking to Startland News before…

Foresight announces $100K investment for its AI-fueled fintech fraud solution for banks

By Tommy Felts / October 12, 2023

Fresh off completing the Tulsa Techstars Accelerator and NXSTAGE fintech competition in Wichita, a busy Kansas City startup just announced a $100,000 investment from Northwestern Mutual. Foresight — an artificial intelligence platform from serial entrepreneur and investor Jannae Gammage — earned a spot in Northwestern Mutual’s Black Founder Accelerator program alongside four other Black-owned tech…

Innovation center, investor hub set to open this month on Liberty campus, thanks to family’s gift 

By Tommy Felts / October 11, 2023

LIBERTY, Missouri — A significant financial gift to William Jewell College from a family of alumni is expected to fund a new innovation center opening on campus this month. The space is expected to serve as an investor hub and flexible workspace for Kansas City entrepreneurs. The Mathes Innovation Center — made possible by the…