News

Esports startup with KC co-founder announces $3M in seed funding, targets Web3 gaming

By Tommy Felts / May 31, 2023

An early funding round is expected to help a new professional esports organization expand the creator economy alongside its own footprint, said Nate Schanker, announcing a $3 million seed round for Boston-based M80, a startup coded with Kansas City talent. “We are building something special that the esports industry has never seen before and we…

His KC shirts earned a walk-on ‘Ted Lasso’ role; now this OP teacher’s side hustle is off the sidelines 

By Tommy Felts / May 31, 2023

The series finale of “Ted Lasso” this week doesn’t mean end credits for a Kansas City teacher whose T-shirt side hustle scored big throughout the show’s run — thanks to a notable assist from his childhood friend Jason Sudeikis who began wearing his designs in early episodes. Brendan Curran, founder of the apparel company Three…

Meet the cohort: Founder scaling Startup Weekend’s winning idea through Columbia venture fund, studio

By Tommy Felts / May 30, 2023

COLUMBIA, Missouri — Winning Missouri Startup Weekend this spring put Chrystal Graves one step closer to revolutionizing the beauty industry, she shared, noting the victory helped secure her spot in the Scale venture fund and studio. “I have been passionate about helping salons be profitable and inclusive for a long time, but I thought building…

Startup Crawl is back June 9: Get your passport to KC bands, businesses, beverages

By Tommy Felts / May 30, 2023

More than 50 startups and a quartet of local bands and performers will headline the June 9 return of Startup Crawl — and it’s a pretty sweet symphony, teased event organizers.  “It’s been almost four years since we’ve been able to host our community in this way,” said Austin Barnes, executive editor of Startland News and…

They could’ve cracked into any industry; Why this dynamic team paired its talents with snacks

By Tommy Felts / May 30, 2023

A local foodie’s quest to recreate her favorite discontinued cracker led a trio of longtime friends to build their own company, serving up specialty appetizer kits that customers are savoring in Kansas City and beyond. Crackerology produces shelf-stable, gourmet appetizer and dessert kits featuring made-from-scratch crackers and cookies that can be assembled in minutes. “Yes,…