Profiles

Erin Jenkins, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Kauffman Foundation’s Erin Jenkins bounces between contrasting cultures, startup life

Editor’s note: This content was sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation but independently produced by Startland News. Curiosity took Erin Jenkins to Japan. Curiosity brought her home. In between, she embedded herself in the worlds of intercultural entrepreneurism and startup life — her journey aligning itself with an opportunity to serve as a program officer…

Donald Hawkins, Griffin Technologies

nbkc launches Entrepreneur in Residence incubator: ‘I have a whole company behind me’

Less than a year after its inaugural Fountain City Fintech accelerator debuted, nbkc bank has launched a new incubator program designed to tackle common banking industry problems with start-up-style ideation, problem solving, and tenacity, said Megan Darnell. The goal: building new companies along the way, the nbkc program manager said. “Kansas City has every single…

Investors, students find potential and power in High School eSports League

Benjie Lewis saw potential in eSports from the beginning — first as a mentor, then an investor, he said. Rapidly evolving from recreational pastime to official leagues and high school sports programs, the competitive multiplayer gaming concept has created a new space for startup opportunity, he said. “When I was growing up … they weren’t…

Callie England at Startland's April Innovation Exchange, a live Startup Hustle podcast on Startup Burnout, presented by Full Scale

Growing into WallyGro: I knew I couldn’t let leaving Rawxies ruin me, says Callie England

Entrepreneurship is a drug and Callie England couldn’t neglect the euphoric high she felt with each hit. “I wasn’t even thinking and that first year was so painful … yet it was so, just like, glorious … You don’t really remember anything until after the fact, but you’re like, man, that was great,”  England, founder…

KCultivator Q&A: Lauren Conaway finds passion in womxn-led InnovateHER KC

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. Kansas City’s female entrepreneurs are begging for the opportunity to champion each…