Profiles

Miguel Johns, KingFit

KingFit prescription for growth: DiabetesCare startup becomes a pandemic must-have

By Tommy Felts / October 12, 2020

WICHITA — A new partnership with a medical giant is adding even more fuel to a momentous 2020 for Kansas-grown KingFit, said Miguel Johns.  The startup has entered an agreement with BioTel Care, the diabetes division of BioTelemetry — a $2 billion publicly-traded company, that aims to improve health outcomes through innovation.  “This partnership opens doors…

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Dave Derr, Wiener Kitchen

Wiener Kitchen’s chef-driven, artisan eats: This time you’ll actually want to see how the sausage is made

By Tommy Felts / October 12, 2020

The grill hasn’t gone cold for Overland Park-stuffed Wiener Kitchen, said Dave Derr, recalling his unexpectedly packed experience as a restauranteur amid a pandemic season squeezing many small businesses.  “We’ve had more revenue at our store than pre-COVID, which is absolutely nuts,” he chuckled in near disbelief. Consumer habits rapidly changed during the onset of…

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Anita Koul, Kufukaa

Masked by fashion: COVID pivot pushes brand to local production, beyond mere ‘talk’ on social media

By Tommy Felts / October 8, 2020

Editor’s note: The following is the second in a series of stories about Kansas City fashion companies putting their own creative spin on the often-utilitarian face mask. Blessings are all around, Anita Koul said, sifting through memories of a year that’s been so far defined by wild hardships and tragic losses.  “We have to take…

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Chris Cheatham, RiskGenius

RiskGenius touchdown: OP insuretech startup scores exit deal with industry leader

By Tommy Felts / October 6, 2020

Overland Park’s RiskGenius crossed a finish line this week — but work remains as an exit looms, the company announced Tuesday.  Columbus, Ohio-based Bold Penguin — an innovation-driven startup that rapidly increases speed-to-bind for commercial insurance — has agreed to acquire the insurtech company for an undisclosed amount, paving the way for continued dominance as the…

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Elango Thevar, Neer; photo by Lauren Pusateri

NEER heads to the Pacific (virtually) for $200K, climate change solutions accelerator

By Tommy Felts / October 6, 2020

An intensive, 10-month application process is paying off for NEER, as the Kansas City water management startup says aloha to a Hawaii-based accelerator and a significant funding infusion. Joining the ninth cohort of Elemental Excelerator in Honolulu is a boon for NEER, having just completed the gener8tor program in Wisconsin, said Elango Thevar, founder and…

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