Startups

Stone Cole, Jasmine Baudler, Amber Baudler, and Cassie Florido, Stellar Image Studios

Double exposure: How quick action streamed a stellar survival story for sister-led film studio

By Tommy Felts / June 26, 2020

When Kansas City’s event scene went dark in the early days of the pandemic, Stellar Image Studios seized a lights-camera-action opportunity to add new value to a suddenly virtual world, said Jasmine Baudler.  “I encourage people not to cancel their virtual events or their fundraisers or galas because — even though it’s hard — it’s…

Read More >
Spark KC

First look: Excitement builds as Spark KC nears summer coworking debut at Two Light

By Tommy Felts / June 25, 2020

As Kyla Bradley closed the door to a 22-person suite within the new Spark Kansas City coworking space, the sound of ongoing construction on the first two floors of Two Light nearly vanished. “It’s not technically ‘sound-proofed’ in here,” she said with a smile, noting a dramatic reduction in noise within the customizable, three-room office…

Read More >
Zach Sliefert, Tyler Beyer, Justin Verbenec, Joe Layne, Brett Karlin, Brent Sliefert, and Brandon Roberts, DashNow

DashNow pivot from QR tech to text trigger helps keep JoCo startup, hundreds of restaurants serving 

By Tommy Felts / June 25, 2020

In an entrepreneurial landscape chewed up by social distancing, it’s feast or famine for local restaurants — but DashNow has a recipe for recovery, said Brett Karlin.  “The value is being able to work with these local businesses. To help them out, to provide a product that they need to help keep their doors open,” added…

Read More >
A.J. Mellott and Heather Decker, Ronawk

Ronawk cultivates first funding round, fight against COVID-19 from new Olathe lab 

By Tommy Felts / June 25, 2020

As COVID-19 continues to wage war on the world, researchers in an Olathe-based lab are generating trillions of human cells that could be used to cure the ever-lingering virus.  “It eliminates a lot of the work that’s needed,” A.J. Mellott, president and co-founder of Ronawk, said of the health tech startup’s premiere product — Tissue Blocks…

Read More >
Kyle Smith, Determination Incorporated; and Sarah Muntean, All American Construction Contractors

Rise Up, Get Started winners: Building a second chance as job market sputters

By Tommy Felts / June 25, 2020

A slowly recovering job market is pushing more people — many of whom previously didn’t imagine ever running their own businesses — into entrepreneurship, said Kyle J. Smith. “The Kauffman Foundation would say they’re starting a business out of necessity rather than choice,” Smith elaborated, describing the importance of programs that provide a second chance…

Read More >