News

Wesley Hamilton, Crossfit partner on gym space flexing adaptive athletes alongside able-bodied peers

By Tommy Felts / April 3, 2019

A first-of-its-kind, all-inclusive gym is emerging to reshape what fitness feels like for adaptive athletes, said Wesley Hamilton. “This vision of what we’re about to create here at Crossfit Memorial Hill is magnificent,” said Hamilton, founder and executive director of Kansas City-based nonprofit the Disabled But Not Really Foundation (DBNR), which partnered with the local…

With final flourishes under way, Plexpod River Market opening expected within weeks

By Tommy Felts / April 2, 2019

Plexpod River Market might be weeks away from opening, but the coworking community’s new location on the KC Streetcar line already is sparking interest among startups, said Gerald Smith. “Magic happens when these entrepreneurs have a platform where they can connect — that’s where sparks fly,” said Smith, co-founder of Plexpod. “The more we can…

How ‘compassion fatigue’ led a TV journalist to bring Healium VR therapy to market

By Tommy Felts / April 2, 2019

Distress calls poured over the newsroom scanner near Sarah Hill’s desk, day in and day out for 20 years. Each one seemingly growing darker than the last, she recalled. “I was a television journalist. … You have to cover a lot of trauma and a lot of really bad stuff,” said Hill, founder of Healium…

Community rallies behind Chris Goode after ‘violating’ overnight Ruby Jean’s break-in

By Tommy Felts / April 2, 2019

Chris Goode isn’t angry, the Ruby Jean’s founder said after an overnight break-in left shattered glass and an empty cash register at his juicery and kitchen on Troost. “When trials come, maintain the faith and just keeping pressing forward,” Goode said. “People responded to that message pretty quickly. We know that the business is supported…

Butter to eSports: Sprint Accelerator draws new class of startups from coasts to Canada

By Tommy Felts / April 1, 2019

Josh Green is used to navigating the streets of Brooklyn, hand delivering artisanal butters, chilled in the back of a pickup, he recalled. As founder of Brooklyn Buttery — which crafted a line of flavor-packed, sustainably sourced compound butters designed to bring a high end restaurant experience to home cooks — the entrepreneur’s growth has now…