Startups

Olathe-built COVID-fighting biotech could be ‘Coolest Thing made in Kansas’ — Voting now open

By Tommy Felts / September 17, 2020

An Olathe startup that began offering its biotech to researchers in April — just as the pandemic hit — already is receiving statewide recognition for a product that ultimately could help take down COVID-19. T-Blocks were announced Wednesday as one of the Top 16 nominees for the Kansas Chamber’s “Coolest Thing Made in Kansas” prize,…

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Blake Miller, Homebase

Meet the No Coast winners: Homebase founder, Garmin lead 2020 KC tech honors

By Tommy Felts / September 16, 2020

Tech is a team sport — a reality undefeated by COVID-19, the KC Tech Council said Wednesday, capping a two-day virtual No Coast ceremony that recognized the interconnectedness of Kansas City’s tech community with entrepreneurship, corporate innovation, education and policy. Among the first winners unveiled: veteran startup founder and CEO Blake Miller, whose Homebase.ai employs 25…

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Darren Winterford, EdApp CEO, and Luke Anear, SafetyCulture CEO; photo courtesy of Business Wire

SafetyCulture deepens its COVID response with $29M acquisition of ‘micro-learning’ app

By Tommy Felts / September 16, 2020

An Australian startup with a significant presence in Kansas City has acquired a mobile training app to boost COVID-era education for businesses through free “micro-learning” resources. “We’re experiencing the biggest workplace shake-up since economies were rebuilt after World War II. This is not survival of the fittest, this is survival of those that can adapt,”…

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Leslie Scott, Re.Use.Full

‘Labor of love’: Leslie Scott’s decade-long mission to pair donors, nonprofits launches

By Tommy Felts / September 15, 2020

A years-long project to help non-profits connect with donors is now a reality — thanks in large part to a government-issued economic stimulus check.  “Because of my stimulus payment, I was able to actually pay a friend who’s a WordPress developer to do the site,” said Leslie Scott, non-profit advocate and founder of Re.Use.Full — a…

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Craig and Eruviel Montes-Boyle, What Duh Fog

What Duh Fog: Couple offers dual take on inclusivity with COVID-prompted venture

By Tommy Felts / September 12, 2020

The threat of COVID-19 exposed gaps in access to effective and proactive cleaning services for small businesses hoping to reopen amid the pandemic, said Eruvial Montes-Boyle. “We wanted to help people and businesses feel safe in their homes or shops, so making [fogging] available to all has been a huge driver for us,” said Montes-Boyle,…

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