News

KCSourceLink expands bilingual entrepreneur-focused support, adding two more Community Navigators

By Tommy Felts / August 22, 2025

A network of “Community Navigators” is extending resources deeper into Kansas City’s entrepreneur community, KCSourceLink announced Friday, detailing the hiring of Citlali Valdez and Racquel Rodriguez to its months-old connectivity program. “We are thrilled to welcome these experienced team members,” said Becca Castro, senior director of regional ecosystem development at the UMKC Innovation Center, which…

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Meet the Lumi Award winners: Digital Health KC salutes pioneers leading innovation trends

By Tommy Felts / August 21, 2025

A lot of smart investors are betting on artificial intelligence, said Dick Flanigan, telling a crowd gathered Thursday at Digital Health Day that even if AI doesn’t turn every startup that uses it into a multi-million-dollar company, the technology still will fundamentally reshape health care. “It’s transformational,” said Flanigan, CEO of Digital Health KC and…

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Meta’s billion-dollar KC data center just came online; here’s what the region expects it to generate

By Tommy Felts / August 21, 2025

As Meta officially flipped the switch this week on its Kansas City Data Center — making the $1 billion project part of the company’s global infrastructure — the move positions the metro as a hub for cutting-edge tech, said Quinton Lucas. “Meta’s investment in Kansas City is a clear signal that our city is a…

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Bean around the block: How this Westport coffee shop is cherry picking roasts from its own farm in the Andes

By Tommy Felts / August 21, 2025

A hemisphere away from Brett Janssen’s former job at General Motors in Kansas City’s Northland, the now-budding Westport coffee shop owner found a fresh batch of opportunities: his wife, business partner and a transcontinental farm-to-cup Columbian coffee operation. Janssen’s House Coffee — the fruit of Janssen and his fiancée Genisis Mejia’s passion for coffee —…

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Attic with global ambitions: Luxury brand builds from humble origins to Material Opulence

By Tommy Felts / August 19, 2025

Renauld Shelton II sees power stitched into the seams of fashion, the Kansas City designer said, detailing the dynamic pairing of apparel and pride that grounds his luxury clothing brand. “It’s a confidence builder. When you look good, you feel good,” said Shelton, founder and CEO of Material Opulence. “It sets you up for success.”…

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