Profiles
Pennez wants to turn the page on youth illiteracy with AI app
If you’re reading this, congratulations, you’re literate. Statistically, this is something to be proud of as 773.5 million people are illiterate around the world. It also means that you’re more likely to have a higher-paying job and be able to more fully participate in society. Rebecca Dove, a former elementary school teacher, saw first-hand that…
Serial entrepreneur Gary Fish’s new venture is ‘about helping others be successful’
After over a year of settling down into a relaxed lifestyle, serial entrepreneur Gary Fish found that he missed the thrill of competition that comes with running a business. In April, the successful Kansas City businessman launched Fishtech Labs — a managed security services company that also boasts an investment arm that targets tech firms….
Gratitude inspires study of Arabic, storytelling-mission for Techweek CEO
Polished and poised, Amanda Signorelli is one part executive and two parts storyteller. As CEO of Techweek, Signorelli leads a team whose mission is to highlight and catalyze innovation hubs outside Silicon Valley. Much like Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, Signorelli’s organization is trumpeting the message that a vibrant tech community isn’t exclusive to trendy, Bay…
Dignity and a dollar: The Grooming Project empowers KC mothers
Natasha Kirsch believes that a living wage does more than provide people with money. That’s why she founded Empowering the Parent to Empower the Child (EPEC), a non-profit that helps young mothers in poverty find higher-paying jobs and become self-reliant in the process. And to achieve that mission, Kirsch is kickstarting an effort that not…
Conner Hazelrigg’s Sunshine Box lights up the dark in Haiti
Conner Hazelrigg, 23, never considered herself an entrepreneur. A few years ago, she was a student at William Jewell College, keeping herself busy playing tennis and basketball, and working towards a double major in physics and math. “I always wanted to do something with engineering and architecture — I loved science,” Hazelrigg said. “But I…
