Profiles

Dan Smith, The Porter House KC

KCultivator Q&A: Dan Smith coaches retail potential from within east side entrepreneurs

By Tommy Felts / November 22, 2019

Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The KCultivator Series is sponsored by Plexpod, a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes. As Dan Smith looked around Kansas City, he saw his hometown continuously…

Read More >

Social Side Effect: Kilee Nickels says Instagram built Nickel & Suede (and the proof is in the postings) 

By Tommy Felts / November 21, 2019

Editor’s note: Social Side Effect is an ongoing profile series that identifies the intersection between social influencing and entrepreneurship   When customers care, business is better and social media proves it, said Kilee Nickels.  “Having Instagram, having Facebook, having a blog, definitely got our business started and kept us going for so long,” added Nickels, CEO…

Read More >
Joel Goldberg, JG Broadcasting LLC

Crafting a side hustle? Your motivation better be more than money, advises Royals broadcaster-turned-podcast host

By Tommy Felts / November 19, 2019

Any idea is possible with a little passion behind it — so long as there’s a why, explained Joel Goldberg.  “When you start everything with, ‘What, where, when, why and how,’ and you answer those questions or ask someone to help you answer those questions … [there’s no limit to] how far you’ll go,” Goldberg, veteran…

Read More >
Tom Gray, Make48, and John Lederer, National Hardware Show

Make48’s 48-hour TV maker competition going nationwide for Season 4; live events planned

By Tommy Felts / November 19, 2019

It’s back to KC for Make48 as the reality competition for inventors heads home to film Season 4.  “Our current coverage is over 90 percent saturation of American homes, so its getting some good traction,” Tom Gray, CEO of Kansas City-based Make48, said ahead of filming — which is slated for March 5-7, 2020, at…

Read More >
Richard Neal, Brendan Reilly and Dan Scott, Lelex Prime

Two startup support programs helped Lelex Prime score Fountain Innovation Fund’s first investment

By Tommy Felts / November 19, 2019

An interconnected, resource-rich startup ecosystem is paying off for Lelex Prime — contributing to the fast-growing artificial intelligence company’s development and boosting its chances to win the Fountain Innovation Fund’s first cash infusion, said Brendan Reilly. “The Digital Sandbox helped us land this investment,” said Reilly, co-founder and principal at Lelex Prime, which joined the…

Read More >