News

Venues Made Simple vows to marry transparency with streamlined wedding planning tech

By Tommy Felts / September 5, 2023

Jeff and Jessie Pavalone didn’t intend to plan their wedding during a pandemic.  The Kansas City couple is introducing technology to the wedding industry with their new Airbnb-style venue management system, meant to simplify wedding planning for both couples and event spaces. Click here to explore their Digital Sandbox KC-backed startup, Venues Made Simple. The…

Family serves tender tradition at Kitty’s Cafe with KC’s most famous pork sandwich

By Tommy Felts / September 5, 2023

Nestled along 31st Street between Kansas City’s Midtown and east side neighborhoods, Kitty’s Cafe has become a cherished symbol of timeless comfort recipes and enduring family heritage, said Jenna Soulivong. It’s word-of-mouth popularity spread largely from Kitty’s pork tenderloin sandwich — a menu item that that earned the restaurant recognition from The New York Times…

Headline-grabbing entrepreneurs join ScaleUP! KC on their way to ‘that next tier’

By Tommy Felts / September 4, 2023

Twenty of Kansas City’s most promising young companies — including the KC Chamber’s “Emerging Business of the Year” — are among the latest cohort of ScaleUP! Kansas City, the metro’s longest running program for growth-minded entrepreneurs with scaling businesses. ScaleUP! Kansas City companies receive coaching, perspective and connections to scale, create new jobs, open new…

Kansas City startup among leading fintech finalists in NXTSTAGE competition

By Tommy Felts / September 4, 2023

An AI-infused startup led by Kansas City serial founder Jannae Gammage is poised to compete against seven other finalists in this fall’s NXTSTAGE innovation showcase in Wichita. Foresight — a fintech platform that aims to open funding opportunities for underserved borrowers by assessing credit risk, fraud and biases — was selected as finalist for the…

Report: NFL Draft festivities scored $164.3M in economic impact for Kansas City

By Tommy Felts / August 26, 2023

Despite the stress of feeding thousands of people, a propane tank running out, and a fryer overheating — plus paying the vendor fee — KC’s Wing Bar owner Keshia Clark said teaming up with the NFL Draft in April was definitely worth it for her business. “We saw in three days what one middle class…