Profiles
Dream Muscle Coffee roasts hipster coffee shop stereotype with protein brew targeting KC’s east side
When life hands out lemons, some people turn them into lemonade. But what happens when it throws 300 pounds of coffee beans in your direction? You percolate new ideas that can disrupt an overcaffeinated market and strengthen a community, Timothy Shockley chuckled. “A friend of mine closed his [Shawnee] coffee shop and left [the beans]…
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A blockchain-enabled solution from Venture360, called Liquifi, aims to unfreeze startups paralyzed by a lack of access to capital, Rachael Qualls said with excitement. “The main reason more people don’t invest in private companies is there is no way to get money out,” said Qualls, CEO of Venture360. “On average money is tied up for…
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Lacking the sex appeal of tech and other high-growth, super-charged industries, the world of commercial real estate is ripe for change, said Jeff Weiner. LaunchKC competitor RealQuantum is ready to modernize that landscape, he said. “Serving a critical need that doesn’t really get a lot of attention is a really smart place to be and…
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Royce “Sauce” Handy wears his influences and inspiration like pins on the outside of his well-worn jean jacket. The KCK-born hip hop entrepreneur embraces his identity: A collector of Goosebumps books. A student of history. A fan of 1990s family sitcoms. And he’s unapologetically black. His lips twist into a smile and his eyes brighten…
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Early stage businesses need more than cash — they need the tools to grow, said the hosts of the KC-based Startup Hustle podcast. “Good ideas in startups move faster when they’re supported by successful business people in the community,” said podcast co-host Matt DeCoursey, announcing the plan late Wednesday to award $50,000 in tech resources,…
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