Startups

Is KC getting lapped? Kansas City scores No. 13 among Top 25 Midwestern cities in M25 ranking

By Tommy Felts / October 8, 2019

Kansas City is maintaining a spot firmly in the middle of the pack among the top 25 Midwestern startup cities — in large part thanks to a $100-plus million growth equity investment in PayIt earlier this year, according to a new ranking by M25. The mega-round for Kansas City’s leading GovTech startup kept the City…

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Lauren Conaway, InnovateHER KC

Plexpod rebrands womxn-led Herspace coworking concept with InnovateHER KC partnership

By Tommy Felts / October 8, 2019

A year after Plexpod unveiled its Herspace concept at Westport Commons, a womxn-centric community and networking organization is partnering with the coworking leader to provide reinvigorated programming and support for startup leaders, Lauren Conaway said. “We’re really excited to show off this beautiful gathering place that the Plexpod team has created,” said Conaway, founder and…

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Jeff Jones, H&R Block

H&R Block’s $2M investment in KCRise Fund: Corporate engagement can’t stop with one check, CEO says

By Tommy Felts / October 7, 2019

Entrepreneurial energy surrounding such startups as Bungii and PayIt made a $2 million investment in the KCRise Fund an easy choice for Jeff Jones and his team at H&R Block, the high-profile CEO said.  “When we think about the different pillars of how we want to give back to the community, taking a stake in…

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David Biga, Particle Space, Startup Crawl KC

Photos: Startup Crawl KC draws 1,000+ to the Crossroads, despite First Fridays overhaul

By Tommy Felts / October 7, 2019

Mission accomplished, said organizers of Startup Crawl KC, announcing record attendance during the fifth showing of the innovation expo.  “Best Startup Crawl ever,” said Gerald Smith, co-founder of Plexpod — which played host Oct. 4 to one of the Crawl’s three stops at its Crossroads Arts District location.  More than 1,000 guests descended on the…

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Kansas City

New in KC: Tech talent returns to his hometown 20 years after leaving a city ‘hollowed out at its core’

By Tommy Felts / October 3, 2019

Editor’s note: New in KC is an ongoing profile series that highlights newly relocated members of the Kansas City startup community, their reasons for a change of scenery, and what’ they’ve found so far in KC. Click here to read more New in KC profiles. Josh Wood describes his journey in tech as varied, not…

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