News

Cori Smith, BLK + BRWN

BLK + BRWN debuts KC’s first smart bookstore with a twist: ‘I wanted to be as Black as possible’

By Tommy Felts / August 5, 2021

Kansas City’s newest Black woman-owned, brick-and-mortar bookstore in Midtown has opened its doors, but customers shouldn’t judge the operation by its cover, owner Cori Smith said, revealing an additional first for the metro that has heads and pages turning.   “There’s a technological aspect paired with each book,” explained Smith, owner of BLK + BRWN — Kansas…

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eHawk team 2021

Why KCRise Fund chose a Lee’s Summit-built criminal justice smartphone app for its first lead investment

By Tommy Felts / August 5, 2021

A Kansas City startup’s smartphone-enabled alternative to ankle monitors taps into a huge courts and corrections market — with the potential for tremendous cost savings and societal impact, said Darcy Howe. And that docket of benefits presents a unique opportunity for KCRise Fund, which this week announced its lead investment in Lee’s Summit-based eHawk, added…

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UpDown Nightlife team

UpDown Nightlife caps $500K seed round with party bus partnership; app to launch this month

By Tommy Felts / August 4, 2021

Building an app centered on nightlife and in-person entertainment during a pandemic requires intense focus and intentionality every step of the way, Joshua Lewis said.  “It’s been a slow and steady walk to the app launch,” said the founder of UpDown Nightlife — an app that connects consumers to local bars, clubs and entertainment. “With…

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Laugh-O-Gram building near 31st and Troost early Saturday morning; Photo courtesy of Butch Rigby; CityScene KC

Driver crashes renovation progress at Walt Disney’s former KC studio; effort to save historic building draws on

By Tommy Felts / August 4, 2021

Editor’s note: The following story originally published by CityScene KC, an online news source focused on Greater Downtown Kansas City. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for the weekly CityScene KC email review. The driver of a black Dodge Charger crashed the renovation party underway at the historic Laugh-O-gram…

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Nathan Kurtz, Brush Creek Partners

LaunchKC-backed insurtech accelerator hopes to claim new cohort by Aug. 22

By Tommy Felts / August 3, 2021

Brush Creek Partners and LaunchKC are again eyeing startups ready to accelerate their go-to-market plans, the partners announced Tuesday.  The application period for the LaunchKC-backed bcp tech InsurTech accelerator has officially opened, Nathan Kurtz, COO of Brush Creek Partners (bcp), said in a release, marking the program’s second run.  “When you have an insurtech product…

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