Startups

How tech can put humanity back in hiring: Interview app brings beta test to Kansas City

By Tommy Felts / May 27, 2025

Automation in the hiring process is leaving critical details — and quality, diverse talent — out of the jobs market, said Chelsea Parker, a Kansas City human resources innovator whose new Interview app aims to reconnect recruiters and applicants on a human level.  “Interview is the TikTok of LinkedIn,” said Parker, the HR trendsetter behind creating an…

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EquipmentShare launches new flagship store with $21M investment in Grain Valley

By Tommy Felts / May 20, 2025

A Missouri unicorn is building impact even closer to Kansas City, opening its new 49,000-square-foot Midwest hub for construction and industrial work in eastern Jackson County. The project reflects an investment of more than $21 million by Columbia, Missouri-based EquipmentShare, said Jabbok Schlacks, CEO and co-founder, describing the property costs, value of equipment and salaries…

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They just wanted someone to notice: 10 years (and an exit) later, the first founders featured in Startland News have come 360

By Tommy Felts / May 19, 2025

Editor’s note: Startland News — officially launched May 4, 2015 — is marking its 10-year anniversary this spring. As part of this observance, the nonprofit newsroom is taking a look back at pivotal moments in its decade-long run, as well as impact along the way. Longtime editor-in-chief Tommy Felts caught up with Stuart Ludlow and David…

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Homegrown startups can redefine KC, leader says; they just need help surviving long enough to do it

By Tommy Felts / May 14, 2025

Editor’s note: The following is the third in a four-part series exploring the verticals and impact of initiatives within the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City through a paid partnership with EDCKC. Leave KC better than you found it: How matching growth to city’s needs is paying off Wrong tool can wreck a neighborhood; Precision development…

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This AI scans for auto damage in 30 seconds; Here’s how it’s gaining instant trust, KC tech industry veteran says

By Tommy Felts / May 13, 2025

A growing number of automotive-sales and related businesses are turning to Click-Ins, an AI-assisted startup on a rapidly upward trajectory, to solve a long-standing problem: how to inspect vehicles quickly, accurately and consistently without relying solely on human judgment.  But the value isn’t in replacing humans in the workforce, said Josh Parsons, a 20-year auto…

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