Profiles

Donald Hawkins

KCultivator Q&A: Donald Hawkins chews on sage advice, blood sausage, ‘circle of giving’

By Tommy Felts / January 25, 2019

Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Founders should rally around Kansas City’s startup ecosystem like fans rallied around the Chiefs, said Donald Hawkins. “If you look at a lot of the companies that have scaled — there’s a huge connection gap between…

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Photo courtesy of Evergy Ventures/Getty Images

Smart strategy generates wins for Evergy Ventures — KC’s quiet investment powerhouse

By Tommy Felts / January 22, 2019

Editor’s note: The following content is sponsored by Evergy Ventures but independently produced by Startland News. As two long-standing utility companies merge, they’re creating a new kind of energy for GXP Investments — now known as Evergy Ventures — said Dennis Odell, announcing a rebrand of the investment firm. “GXP Investments — GXP — it…

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Rick Kloog, Vintage WiFi

Vintage WiFi mashup: Designer converts old items into bluetooth speakers at Troost T-shirt shop

By Tommy Felts / January 22, 2019

Rick Kloog’s T-shirt shop on Troost resonates with the sound of side hustles — combining the former music producer’s previously untapped talents for a Vintage WiFi effect. The “funky little vintage store” blends original Kansas City-designed shirts, and miscellaneous items — most of which Kloog converts into bluetooth speakers — as well as other original…

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Matt Condon, Bardavon Health Innovations, Matt Condon Kauffman

Startup leader hears calling in Kauffman legacy, selected to join Kauffman Foundation trustees

By Tommy Felts / January 17, 2019

Money alone won’t truly satisfy an entrepreneur, nor will it build a stronger Kansas City, said Matt Condon — lessons learned from the late Ewing Kauffman. “Having a successful company isn’t good enough,” said Condon, a veteran startup leader who recently completed a year as chair of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. “Impacting…

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SafetyCulture

SafetyCulture executing fireproof growth strategy from new Crossroads US HQ

By Tommy Felts / January 17, 2019

A recent move placed SafetyCulture into the largest fireproof building in KC — a choice reflecting the startup’s customer-centered approach, said Ross Reed, noting the building’s more-than-a-century-old history was an added plus. “iAuditor helps organizations prioritize safety and quality,” said Reed, president of SafetyCulture’s KC-based North American branch. “If construction companies can show they they…

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