News

Gardner swag startup bags $150K from Minnesota-based accelerator for bootstrappers

By Tommy Felts / August 25, 2022

PromoPulse, a Kansas software company that enables promotional product businesses to grow their sales and simplify marketing, announced today it raised $150,000 from the TinySeed accelerator program. The funding and TinySeed’s collaborative network will fuel PromoPulse’s mission to amplify the sales and marketing of businesses that sell swag — also known as the promotional products…

These chefs are baking fine dining (and shareable small plates) into one of KC’s favorite cookie spots

By Tommy Felts / August 25, 2022

Classic Cookie by day; Wild Rose Bistro by night. Two dining concepts will share the same space in Waldo as Chef Bryan Sparks builds a new menu — and business — from his obsession with food and growth. “It doesn’t really make sense for us to get another brick-and-mortar spot,” said Sparks, who launched the rebooted…

‘The opposite of growth is death’: Why the founder of EquipmentShare is driven by process, not an end goal 

By Tommy Felts / August 24, 2022

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. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. COLUMBIA,…

Hair and beauty emergency? On-demand app matches stylists with last-minute needs nearby

By Tommy Felts / August 23, 2022

Inspired by the need for a last-minute blowout at a hotel in Florida — as well as her life-changing experience with contract work — Ruth Shrauner turned to tech that she hopes will reshape the foundation of the beauty industry. The Shawnee-based founder and CEO plans to launch her app — Poshed On The Go…

‘Credit score for startups’: Foresight founders aim to replace pitch decks with investability scores 

By Tommy Felts / August 23, 2022

Every founder deserves a fair opportunity to succeed, said Jannae Gammage, which is why she partnered with Charlotte Clark to launch a platform that would help entrepreneurs make value-driven decisions — while empowering investors to invest in them. A core idea behind the new startup: entrepreneurs believe tech over people. “I have been working side-by-side…