Opinion

Innovation coach Diana Kander: Failure is an option

By Tommy Felts / July 11, 2017

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Yes, you could fail, and it would be embarrassing. People would talk about it. People you know. But let’s be honest, they’re only trying to reassure themselves about the risk-averse choices they’ve made. Yes, you could fail, and it could get you fired. I’m…

Ginsburg: Fundamental — but routinely botched — elements of a winning pitch

By Tommy Felts / June 27, 2017

Editor’s note: A five-year mentor at UMKC’s Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Byron Ginsburg has heard and counseled many entrepreneurial pitches as an attendee and a judge. His current UMKC mentees, Emily Moon and Kelsey Carlstedt of By Grace Design, won first place and $20,000 in the 2017 Regnier Venture Creation Challenge.   While…

Reporter turned entrepreneur, LeVota offers 6 takeaways from Startup Weekend KC

By Tommy Felts / June 13, 2017

A little under a year ago, I joined the Startland News team. Since then, I bet I’ve witnessed at least 150 entrepreneurs pitch their company. It’s safe to say I’ve learned a lot about innovation and entrepreneurship. I’m lucky I get to spend my days asking people who have “done it” how they “did it.”…

The thought process behind how Niall founder Michael Wilson relinquished reins as CEO

By Tommy Felts / May 5, 2017

Editor’s note: Niall founder Michael Wilson recently hired a CEO to run the growing luxury watch company he founded five years ago. Here’s more on his thought process.  I started Niall as a far-fetched idea five years ago while at 1810 Cherry St. in the Crossroads Arts District. Since then, I’ve faced a lot of adversity…

Jeff Shackelford: Why would KC want to build the next Silicon Valley?

By Tommy Felts / April 6, 2017

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone.  I recently read an article that shows you can slant a story anyway you want and that many authors write to match their preconceived notions — whether it’s true or not. The article that got me thinking about this was from Bloomberg’s Sarah…