News

Comeback KC Ventures adds 9 more fellows to accelerate rapid-response health innovations

By Tommy Felts / May 12, 2022

A global pandemic exposed both new challenges and the potential for disruptive solutions — putting Kansas City entrepreneurs at the forefront of rapid-fire change in the wake of an ongoing health crisis, said organizers of Comeback KC Ventures. Nine additional Kansas City tech startups are joining the fellowship program, its leaders said Wednesday, expanding upon…

Leanlab launches edtech certification with focus on accountability to classrooms

By Tommy Felts / May 12, 2022

A new product certification from Leanlab Education means increased transparency for edtech companies — as well as added credibility for their work within schools.  “We want to give teachers and school administrators a quick way to understand if an edtech product reflects the insights of educators, students, and parents — the true end users in education — and…

Actor David Dastmalchian fought his own demons; now the KC native is sending ’80s-inspired monsters to you

By Tommy Felts / May 11, 2022

Growing up in Kansas City, David Dastmalchian was enamored with his hometown’s most shadowy corners: its fabled haunted houses, the shelves of Clint’s Comics, “Crematia Mortem’s Friday” on local TV, and even his Overland Park neighborhood’s mystical-seeming creeks and forests.  Each of these childhood haunts planted a seed for the Hollywood actor’s latest project —…

MoodSpark buys defunct startup’s IP, minds focused on disrupting elderly veterans’ depression 

By Tommy Felts / May 11, 2022

A slew of new patents and tools are now in the hands of a KCK-rooted startup that aims to protect aging military veterans that suffer from loneliness, anxiety and depression.  MoodSpark has acquired assets previously held by California-based Dthera Sciences — an early leader of the digital therapeutics space, known for its innovative quality of life…

Built to last, bought with intention: How JE Dunn set supplier diversity as a cornerstone

By Tommy Felts / May 10, 2022

Editor’s note: The following story was sponsored by KC Rising, a regional initiative to help Kansas City grow faster and more intentionally, as part of a campaign to promote its CEO-to-CEO Challenge on supplier diversity.  Approaching supplier diversity for the long haul means defining the work — without limiting it, said Jason Banks, describing how Kansas City-based construction icon JE…