News

Their designs are so unique they’re one-of-one; ‘slow fashion’ duo turns thrift store finds into runway-worthy fits

By Tommy Felts / August 9, 2023

A Kansas City couple’s upcycled fashion brand is making waves, as thousands of social media followers — and some high-profile names — have taken note of the company’s repurposed “one-of-one” clothing pieces. The passion project of co-founders Jared Armstrong and Caylin Willis, Yvonne and Mitchel takes clothing materials from thrift stores and reimagines them into…

New Kauffman CEO begins her ‘journey of impact’ with renewed focus on Kansas City

By Tommy Felts / August 8, 2023

Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial supporter of Startland News. Work within Kansas City to inspire education and entrepreneurship has a ripple effect across the region, said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace; and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is doubling down on its commitment to the Kansas City community under her new leadership. …

This one-day competition builds more than apps, organizers say; Hack Midwest aims to reveal what humans are capable of creating  

By Tommy Felts / August 8, 2023

Kansas City’s largest app building competition is set to return in September — with more than 300 software engineers competing in teams for a piece of $22,500 in winnings. Hack Midwest, which began in 2012, brings together developers for a 24-hour “hackathon,” during which the teams race against the clock — and each other — to…

Island vibes getaway: ‘Lei Away’ festival to showcase tropical flavors in landlocked KC

By Tommy Felts / August 5, 2023

Kansas Citians won’t have to leave the city to enjoy a tropical escape during Labor Day weekend. The freshly announced Lei Away festival is expected to bring the spirit of the islands to the plains. “We are highlighting all the wonderful things that are tropical-centric in Kansas City, which is ironic because it’s so landlocked,”…

In second term, Mayor Q says he’ll help get City Hall out of entrepreneurs’ way as they build a more diverse economy

By Tommy Felts / August 5, 2023

Creating economic equity in Kansas City goes hand in hand with building a sustainable city, said Mayor Quinton Lucas. “We will not be the city that we need to be — we won’t have the workforce, the entrepreneurs that we need — if we’re not actually investing in equitable tools in any number of ways,”…