News

This hard swap plays easy: How one KC producer juggles community, breaking the club music cookie cutter

By Tommy Felts / October 6, 2023

Tyler Jordan’s new spin on DJing: amplify fellow artists and unite people through music, he shared. Jordan — who produces electronic music and DJs under the name Oblivinatti (a mashup of his favorite video game growing up, The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, and his interest in conspiracy theories) — is evolving his sound production business Vibration…

Art and technology too often butt heads, festival planners say; River Market event paints a reality where they coexist

By Tommy Felts / October 6, 2023

The River Market Art Festival is back after a 20-year hiatus — with a nod to the past and an eye toward the future, shared The AI Hub’s Taylor Burris and James Spikes, startup founders who are hosting the event in partnership with the River Market Community Association. The revival of the art festival —…

PayIt co-founder: No one-size-fits-all formula for scaling one of KC biggest startup ideas 

By Tommy Felts / October 5, 2023

Mike Plunkett’s journey with PayIt came to an early, but critical crossroads when a wealthy entrepreneur offered half-million dollars to support the Kansas City-built govtech venture, he recalled. The catch: this investor insisted on imposing control and veto power as they committed more funds. Despite being low on funds, the PayIt team — led by…

Pure Pitch Rally reveals 2023 competitors: Meet 8 founders redefining the future of tech

By Tommy Felts / October 4, 2023

One of KC’s most-anticipated startup events is set to tease a room full of sharks with the innovations of tomorrow — being built in Kansas City today, said Karen Fenaroli, announcing the eight competitors set for the Oct. 23 Pure Pitch Rally stage. The one-of-a-kind event helps startups grow by offering nondilutive spot-cash funding to…

Apple co-founder tells Kansas crowd: The real threat from AI is misinformation

By Tommy Felts / October 3, 2023

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.  WICHITA, Kansas — Artificial intelligence won’t replace humans, shared Apple co-founder and tech giant Steve Wozniak, but the rapidly advancing technology should come with a warning label. AI is just…