News

After $8.5M raise, KC-based Pepper eyes IoT dominance

By Tommy Felts / April 6, 2017

From app-controlled toilets to smart egg trays, the world of IoT is rapidly expanding. In fact, by 2020, it’s expected that more than 24 billion internet-connected devices will be online. And now one well-heeled Kansas City-based IoT startup wants to serve as the hub for those gadgets. After it recently raised a $8.5 million Series…

Investor dinners, KC hospitality garner praise at Rise of the Rest Summit

By Tommy Felts / April 6, 2017

Kansas City’s hospitality recently took center stage at the national Rise of the Rest Summit in Washington, D.C. Addressing ecosystem leaders around the nation, KCRise Fund managing director Darcy Howe shared strategies she’s used to build the KCRise fund, including a tactic that’s nourishing area startups — literally and figuratively.  In addition to showcasing her…

Events Preview: KC Design Week, Lean Lab Innovation Workshop

By Tommy Felts / April 4, 2017

There are a plethora of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter, or curious community member — we recommend these upcoming events for you. Are you hosting a relevant community event? Feel free to add it to the FWD/KC calendar for increased exposure. Once your event…

Yoga for five-year-olds? Visionary KC charter school launching pilot program

By Tommy Felts / April 4, 2017

Kansas City-based elementary school Dreams KC will launch its first pilot program this month, but don’t expect the same old classroom model “Dreams is a whole child model,” explained Catina Taylor, founder of Dreams KC. “What that means is we don’t focus on them from the neck up, we develop their civic, personal, professional and…

Gooding: Your customers don’t care about you

By Tommy Felts / April 4, 2017

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Check out more from Grant Gooding here.  It’s true. The moment you start talking about yourself is the moment you start losing.   There is no doubt that as human beings we have a natural affinity to talk about ourselves; self-promotion is hard-wired…