Profiles

2018 Startups to Watch

Year-end roundup: Checking in with Startland’s 2018 Startups to Watch

By Tommy Felts / December 21, 2018

It was a year of refinement, said Chris Goode, as well as a time to rejoice amid highs and lows at Ruby Jean’s Juicery. Startland checked in with the founder, along with his fellow 2018 Startups to Watch companies, to see if the past 12 months unfolded as predicted. While working to expand Ruby Jean’s…

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Katie Kimbrell, STARTLAND

KCultivator Q&A: Katie Kimbrell pushes reimagined education, equality for women

By Tommy Felts / December 18, 2018

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 WeWork Corrigan Station, a modern twist on Kansas City office space. MECA Challenge and Startland News are both programs of the Kansas City Startup Foundation, though the content below was produced…

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Andy Wiltz, Woof’s Play & Stay

Woof’s dog spa wagging into new markets with startup mindset, owner says

By Tommy Felts / December 17, 2018

It’s a classic startup tail: Disillusionment with corporate life sends a would-be founder fetching for fresh ideas and more innovative inspiration. Woof’s Play & Stay provided Andy Wiltz the opportunity to scratch that itch, the dog spa owner said. Purchasing the plateauing brand in 2015, Wiltz turned his original Merriam location into a model for…

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Parker Graham, Destiny Wealth

Destiny Wealth moving HQ to KC; former football player owes debt of inspiration to mother

By Tommy Felts / December 15, 2018

Grit and the gridiron might have helped shape Parker Graham’s business acumen, but it’s the influence of his coach in the game of life who inspired Destiny Wealth — his fintech startup that soon will move to Kansas City. “My Mom stretched herself so thin and sometimes it was hard to put food on the…

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Kilee and Soren Nickels, Nickel & Suede

Nickel & Suede couple create their hook with style, influence and fast-selling leather earrings

By Tommy Felts / December 11, 2018

Feeling is believing, said Kilee Nickels, the fashion inspiration behind Nickel & Suede. “You may not remember you’re wearing our earrings until someone compliments you,” she said of the light-weight, leather statement accessories that earned the business she co-founded a top spot on Inc. 5000’s 2018 fastest-growing companies list. Based in Liberty, the company boasted…

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