News

Kimberly Gandy: Proof a startup can emerge stronger from its founder’s cancer diagnosis

By Tommy Felts / February 8, 2018

Cancer needn’t mean can’t, Kimberly Gandy said. When the Play-It Health founder and CEO was diagnosed with an aggressive, mid-stage cancer in May 2016, her startup found itself at a crossroads. Gandy had just joined the Kansas City-based Pipeline fellowship and her company was poised for growth through its web- and mobile-based health regimen tracking…

Code Ninjas uses karate format to punch into KC youth STEM scene

By Tommy Felts / February 7, 2018

Students often want more than their schools can offer, said Jason Hansen, of Code Ninjas. For some, that’s competitive sports teams or specialty athletics, he said. Others yearn for greater STEM-based learning opportunities — like those offered at Hansen’s Leawood center. “It’s just like you might have a dance studio, or a baseball academy,” Hansen…

Landlocked, Marknology startups ‘killing it on Amazon,’ KC founder says

By Tommy Felts / February 6, 2018

Landlocked is a brand many Kansas Citians recognize on sight, founder Andrew Morgans said. Marknology is the behind-the-scenes engine that sells it. While his dual companies — an apparel startup known for its popular hybrid pennant tee and a bootstrapped digital marketing firm specializing in Amazon sales — complement one another, the pairing is an…

Lula raises $420K, fueling expansion of home service offerings

By Tommy Felts / February 6, 2018

A $420,000 funding round from Kansas City area investors will accelerate tech startup Lula to expand in Kansas City and soon two more large metros, CEO and founder Bo Lais said. The Overland Park-based firm is eyeing Phoenix and Dallas as its next service areas, but it first plans to focus on marketing its on-demand…

Level Office puts coworking space on tap in former law building (Photos)

By Tommy Felts / February 2, 2018

Windows from the community coworking space in Level Office’s seven-floor Kessler Building offer an up-close view of the Jackson County Courthouse, Sprint Center and downtown Kansas City. That proximity to the 16th Circuit Court, the court of appeals and the Jackson County Detention Center makes Chicago-based Level Office a magnet for men and women in…