Startups

Jesse Hutmacher, Savage Athleisure

KC-pumped athleisure brand slashes industry prices, aiming to unlock the ‘savage’ in everyone 

By Tommy Felts / November 22, 2021

Building from the ground up is no easy feat, Jesse Hutmacher said, but attacking a venture head-on is the adrenaline rush he seeks. “Anyone can be a savage — everyone has it in them. It’s about whether or not you unlock it and let go. When you think about ‘savagery,’ it’s related to a primitive,…

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KC software group ventures into sports tech with new college athlete endorsement platform

By Tommy Felts / November 19, 2021

With a new law in effect this summer allowing student athletes to sign sponsorship deals and profit off of their name, image and likeness, Artisan Technology Group jumped at the opening to help young people navigate such new opportunities, the company said. Artisan teamed with Opendorse, a Lincoln, Nebraska-based sports tech firm, to help them…

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Lee Zuvanich, Appsta, Adva Digital Solutions

He wanted to post his pronouns on LinkedIn sooner, but first this startup founder had to come out to himself

By Tommy Felts / November 18, 2021

The word was simple — sprinkled into a potentially impactful email introduction last week with little fanfare — but for Lee Zuvanich, reading it felt like Christmas morning. His. “When I came out on LinkedIn this summer — with my pronouns and everything — it wasn’t really a choice,” said Zuvanich, a trans man who now…

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Healium’s mental fitness wearables earn innovation award from world’s largest tech show

By Tommy Felts / November 15, 2021

A Columbia-based startup’s patented technology that brings wearable biometric data to life via virtual and augmented reality apps has earned a major industry honor, announcing Healium’s selection for a 2022 Innovation Award from the Consumer Technology Association. The awards program is an annual competition honoring outstanding design and engineering in 27 consumer technology product categories.…

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Andy Bond and Matt Krentz, BestyBnB

Leawood firm partners with BestyBnB on tech platform to protect domestic violence survivors, their pets

By Tommy Felts / November 11, 2021

Fresh off news of its $2 million investment by a local businesswoman and prominent animal advocate, Kansas City-based startup BestyBnB this week announced a new pet reservation tech platform — built by a company in neighboring Leawood. Available on mobile and desktop, the BestyBnB web-based platform enables DV shelters to search and secure long- and short-term…

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