News

Tate Hayes, Mowd

Mowd founder pivots beyond mowing lawns to tech startup; offering landscapers an online payment platform

By Tommy Felts / November 10, 2020

The grass isn’t necessarily greener on the tech side of entrepreneurship, mused Tate Hayes, but revenue and market opportunity grow wild.  “[Small businesses and startups] come with their own difficulties and maybe even simplicities,” said Hayes, founder of Mowd, comparing his newly launched startup to his previous venture — Kansas City-based Hayes Lawncare.  “[As a…

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Tristan Mace, parkermace

New in KC: Serial entrepreneur, advisor Tristan Mace sees KC as next major tech ecosystem  

By Tommy Felts / November 9, 2020

Editor’s note: New in KC is an ongoing profile series that highlights newly relocated members of the Kansas City startup community, their reasons for a change of scenery, and what they’ve found so far in KC. Click here to read more New in KC profiles. While most 14-year-olds are worried about starting high school and…

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Colton Ropson and Alec Grawe, Luxee

Confidence for dudes, wrapped in a robe: Luxee launches subscription box for mens wellness 

By Tommy Felts / November 7, 2020

Look good, feel good, and crush it, said Colton Ropson, unboxing the purpose behind his newly launched men’s subscription startup — Luxee.  “We pretty much learn to shave and that’s it,” said Ropson, who co-founded the subscription box startup with his best friend, Alec Grawe. They duo described their perception of Midwest-raised men and those…

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2018 LaunchKC winners

Keystone Labs partners with LaunchKC to lead accelerator platform operations

By Tommy Felts / November 5, 2020

Six years after launching as a grants competition, the ever-evolving LaunchKC program will continue as an accelerator platform, newly led by the minds behind Keystone Labs — an outgrowth of the Keystone innovation district effort championed by Kevin McGinnis. Announced Thursday morning during a meeting of the Downtown Council of Kansas City, the move is expected…

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Jannae Gammage, The Market Base

Former Army intelligence analyst deploys expertise, entrepreneurship to the Market Base

By Tommy Felts / November 5, 2020

Editor’s note: The following is part of a three-part series spotlighting U.S. military veterans who also are Kansas City entrepreneurs. Hustle runs deep for Jannae Gammage, she said, looking back on the one thing that’s been uniquely hers since childhood: entrepreneurship.  “My first business was at 14,” said Gammage, founder and CEO of The Market…

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