Startups

Kwinton Scarborough, PawCon X; Pat McLoughlin, Digs; Elango Thevar, Neer; and Kim Naramore and Jillian Carlile, TravelHive, Pitch & Pint: KC Collective

Pitch & Pint: KC Collective unveils founders competing in real-time April 30 pitch event

By Tommy Felts / April 22, 2020

While COVID-19 wreaks havoc across the globe, Kansas City entrepreneurs already are proving their resiliency, said Donald J. Hawkins. “They’re still grinding, iterating, and finding ways to make things happen,” said Hawkins, co-organizer of the KC Collective founder network, as well as co-founder of Griffin. “In addition to working on their own businesses, they’re diving…

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MOSS Salon Studios

Nowhere to trim: Emptied salons, independent contractors feel cut out of relief funds with few options

By Tommy Felts / April 21, 2020

Editor’s note: The following is part of Startland News’ ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City’s entrepreneur community, as well as how innovation is helping to drive a new normal in the ecosystem. Click here to follow related stories as they develop. Critical mistakes in the first round of government aid for small businesses…

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Restaurant menu printer’s pivot to face shields: ‘How do you create a supply chain overnight?’

By Tommy Felts / April 18, 2020

Editor’s note: The following is part of Startland News’ ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City’s entrepreneur community, as well as how innovation is helping to drive a new normal in the ecosystem. Click here to follow related stories as they develop. When COVID-19 quickly cut into the Trabon Group’s business, the Kansas City…

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Stuck at home, lacking basic necessities? KC blockchain expert’s new direct giving platform offers relief

By Tommy Felts / April 18, 2020

Editor’s note: The following is part of Startland News’ ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City’s entrepreneur community, as well as how innovation is helping to drive a new normal in the ecosystem. Click here to follow related stories as they develop. Entrepreneurs are simply more agile than the federal government, said Shekhar Gupta,…

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Sieo headquarters, Venice Beach, California

West Coast startup studio thinks now is the perfect time to add KC tech companies to its portfolio

By Tommy Felts / April 17, 2020

A Venice Beach, California-based startup studio wants to fund, found, and grow more startups — including those in the Kansas City area.  “When we got started, our main goal was to reduce the 90 percent failure rate of startups,” explained Austin Stofer, founder and CEO of Sieo — the California startup studio that currently boasts a 12-company…

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