Startups

SafetyCulture, Crossroads Arts District, Kansas City

From Aussie garage to unicorn: How SafetyCulture continues its climb in an ever-changing environment

By Tommy Felts / November 13, 2020

Starting from humble beginnings, SafetyCulture earned its membership in the Australian unicorn club this year with a $1.3 billion valuation, said Nick Topping. “Our CEO and founder Luke Anear actually founded the company [in 2004] out of his garage in Townsville, Australia,” said Topping, who leads the marketing and business development teams in the Americas…

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Jackie Faltermeier and Adison Sichampanakhone, Ice Cream Bae

Ice Cream Bae serves up first storefront; menu of food concepts already sprinkled across KC

By Tommy Felts / November 12, 2020

A colorful mix of childhood cereals, Eastern Asian-inspired flavors and Instagrammable cones set Ice Cream Bae apart from other ice cream shops in Kansas City, said Adison Sichampanakhone and Jackie Faltermeier.  “We put extra attention into detail with every cone because customers are coming here for an experience, so it has to look perfect,” said…

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Whitney Manney; Todd Race Photography

Designer Whitney Manney using JOANN grant to reshape the fabric of KC’s fashion scene

By Tommy Felts / November 11, 2020

Kansas City is legit — and it’s full of talented creatives who national eyes should be watching, said Whitney Manney.  “I think COVID has shown us you can show up and show out from anywhere in this world,” added Manney, a local fashion designer, maker, and founder of the WHITNEYMANNEY (WM) fashion label, in announcement…

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CuRVE Shield, Micro Mini Metal

How a no-touch copper tool built in Lenexa could be a tipping point for safe contact amid COVID

By Tommy Felts / November 11, 2020

Editor’s note: The following is part of a three-part series spotlighting U.S. military veterans who also are Kansas City entrepreneurs. Innovation is at an all-time high as COVID-19 continues to create new market categories, said Shawn Tipping, noting the pandemic has raised new awareness about the thin barriers between health and sickness.  “We’ve never had…

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Luke Wade, KC Crew

KC Crew founder set to open ‘first-of-many’ game-centered bar, restaurant in STL metro

By Tommy Felts / November 10, 2020

Editor’s note: The following is part of a three-part series spotlighting U.S. military veterans who also are Kansas City entrepreneurs. This report features Luke Wade, a member of the Army National Guard who previously was deployed to Iraq. Luke Wade spent the past nine years connecting 70,000 Kansas Citians through KC Crew — a downtown-area…

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