News

Denise Kruse: So your startup landed its first big client — now what?

By Tommy Felts / September 5, 2017

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. As a startup, it takes hard work to get a potential client through the door. You have to get them to believe in your business model and product or service you’re offering; wow them with your expertise and industry knowledge; and finally, close the…

Husch Blackwell’s Jeff Simon hopes outreach, Techweek grow KC’s organic startup community

By Tommy Felts / September 1, 2017

Editor’s note: This story is sponsored by Techweek, but independently produced by Startland News. Give now, get later. That’s the mindset Jeff Simon, managing partner of Husch Blackwell’s Kansas City office, instills in his team of attorneys to not only encourage networking, but also build a stronger Kansas City. Empowering his attorneys with autonomy to…

Whiteboard2Boardroom schools startup on valuable connections

By Tommy Felts / September 1, 2017

Without Whiteboard2Boardroom, many student-led innovations might be forever stalled in the world of academia. Instead, the program is credited with helping to accelerate the commercialization of such projects to the tune of 129 new jobs and $26.2 million in follow-on funding, according to a recent progress report. W2B has worked with 35 startups and engaged…

Techstars Spotlight: Sexy STEM jobs? They’re not for everyone, NexusEdge says

By Tommy Felts / August 31, 2017

Shanti Akkineni and Eddie Lin are self-proclaimed “serial job hoppers.” It’s a frustrating reality for many, Akkineni said, because of a lack of mentorship accessibility and job awareness. She herself has experienced employment in five different industries within a decade, she said. “I would go to work Monday morning, sit at my desk and not…

Tech startup to assist in donating American Royal BBQ leftovers

By Tommy Felts / August 31, 2017

If there’s one thing Kansas City celebrates more than entrepreneurship, it’s barbecue. A local startup, Tappecue, plans to use its technology this weekend at the American Royal BBQ competition to assist in donating leftover food to the hungry.  Tappecue is a cloud-based “smart” barbecue thermometer, with which BBQ aficionados can monitor meat temperatures via a…