Profiles

BacklotCars

Investors deal BacklotCars $8M; KC-based startup hitting the gas on disruption

By Tommy Felts / December 11, 2018

Disrupting the used car space has driven a Series A funding round to $8 million for Kansas City-based startup BacklotCars, the company announced Tuesday. “This investment comes at a great time. We are growing rapidly in our existing markets and expanding our national footprint. We expect to continue to add new features – to accompany…

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Tim Fortier, Drawbridge Strategies

Passive investment approach is so 30 years ago, Drawbridge strategist says

By Tommy Felts / December 11, 2018

Transforming a systematic process into a company built on efficiency has Lee’s Summit-based Drawbridge Strategies ready to disrupt the world of finance, said Tim Fortier. “A product is a means to an end, not the end itself. What is necessary is better investor education on the process behind the product,” said Fortier, Drawbridge Strategies CIO.…

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Edgar Palacios, Latinx Education Collaborative

KCultivator Q&A: Edgar Palacios talks Latinx representation, his ballsy inspiration

By Tommy Felts / December 7, 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. Proportionate cultural and ethnic representation can be life-altering for young people — especially in the classroom, said Edgar Palacios.…

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Ronnie Washington, Onward

Onward scores $1M grant from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for payday loan end-run

By Tommy Felts / December 4, 2018

Everyone needs a financial cushion, said Ronnie Washington — even a fintech startup offering low- to moderate-income workers a path to avoid predatory lending practices, the Onward founder said. A member of KC-based Fountain City Fintech’s inaugural cohort, Onward is one of 10 companies from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico being awarded $1 million…

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Isaac Collins, Austin Wilcox and Wondabeka Ashenafi, SERV Nutrition

‘Three guys of faith’ craft edible, dissolving protein pods with mission to SERV

By Tommy Felts / November 30, 2018

Infusing authenticity into a compound of faith and fearlessness helped a KC trio formulate the one-of-a-kind recipe for Kansas City startup SERV Nutrition. Now they’re positioning the soon-to-launch company to shake up the supplement space, said Austin Wilcox. “I was doing some laundry and threw a Tide Pod in after my workout, then ran upstairs to…

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