Startups

Donald Hawkins, Griffin Technologies

nbkc launches Entrepreneur in Residence incubator: ‘I have a whole company behind me’

By Tommy Felts / June 18, 2019

Less than a year after its inaugural Fountain City Fintech accelerator debuted, nbkc bank has launched a new incubator program designed to tackle common banking industry problems with start-up-style ideation, problem solving, and tenacity, said Megan Darnell. The goal: building new companies along the way, the nbkc program manager said. “Kansas City has every single…

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Investors, students find potential and power in High School eSports League

By Tommy Felts / June 18, 2019

Benjie Lewis saw potential in eSports from the beginning — first as a mentor, then an investor, he said. Rapidly evolving from recreational pastime to official leagues and high school sports programs, the competitive multiplayer gaming concept has created a new space for startup opportunity, he said. “When I was growing up … they weren’t…

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KCMO mayoral candidates Quinton Lucas and Jolie Justus

Startup advocates to next mayor: Make KC more attractive to tech talent, women, innovation

By Tommy Felts / June 15, 2019

Months of candidate forums are complete. The door bells have been rung. Selfies taken. As the Kansas City mayor’s race heads to the polls Tuesday, the candidates are all business when it comes to courting the startup community’s vote. Jolie Justus — who has branded herself as the next “neighborhood mayor” — and Quinton Lucas…

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Councilwoman Jolie Justus, StartupKC Small Business and Entrepreneurship Mayoral Forum

Jolie Justus’ open letter to startups: In many ways, the city has failed you — let’s do better together

By Tommy Felts / June 14, 2019

[Editor’s note: Startland News invited Kansas City mayoral candidates Jolie Justus and Quinton Lucas to compose open letters to address their potential constituents in KC’s entrepreneur community of startups, makers, creatives and risk-takers. Justus’ response is below. Lucas did not participate. The vote is set for Tuesday, June 18.] I trust this community to see…

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Callie England at Startland's April Innovation Exchange, a live Startup Hustle podcast on Startup Burnout, presented by Full Scale

Growing into WallyGro: I knew I couldn’t let leaving Rawxies ruin me, says Callie England

By Tommy Felts / June 14, 2019

Entrepreneurship is a drug and Callie England couldn’t neglect the euphoric high she felt with each hit. “I wasn’t even thinking and that first year was so painful … yet it was so, just like, glorious … You don’t really remember anything until after the fact, but you’re like, man, that was great,”  England, founder…

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