Startups

Lisa Tamayo, Scollar Collision

Tenacious Scollar CEO to international investors: Look me in the eyes and try to tell me ‘no’

By Tommy Felts / May 14, 2019

With a year of hustle well under way, you can’t break Scollar’s stride, Lisa Tamayo said as she prepares to take the stage in front of a 25,000-plus person crowd May 20 at the Collision tech conference in Toronto. “[I believe] 15,000 people applied to present a pitch and they whittle that down to 60…

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Zego exit, investment wins reflect critical need for startups to look outside KC, co-founder says

By Tommy Felts / May 10, 2019

Homegrown is great, Adam Blake said, but at some point scaling companies must explore the world of resources and dollars available outside the metro. “Kansas City has a lot to offer — plenty of talent, great place to live and quality of life, helpful mentors, etc. — but I would say it’s a requirement for startups…

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The Distrikc, AbdulRasheed Yahaya, Michelle Richmond, Ryan S. Harvey, Mark Launiu, Deaunte Thomas, Wesley Hamilton, and Darion Moore

The Distrikc founders: We’re not waiting on outsiders to save our brothers and sisters

By Tommy Felts / May 10, 2019

It’s time for members of Kansas City’s largely unseen and forgotten communities of color to take control, said Wesley Hamilton, one of the organizers behind The Distrikc. “We speak so much about KC, but people forget whole groups of people — I’m talking Troost to Main, East Kansas City, South Kansas City,” he said. “We want…

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Plexpod River Market

Look inside: Plexpod opens coworking oasis amid River Market’s concrete jungle (Photos)

By Tommy Felts / May 9, 2019

Faux grass lining the walls. Neon signs. A mix of vintage and contemporary stylings. Plexpod’s Eric Milner was initially skeptical of plans for a jungle theme in one of the co-working space’s enclaves — quirky seating areas tucked between offices and amenities at the new River Market location. “It really panned out though. Stephanie [Medina]…

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Carvana, Kansas City

Car vending machine drives into KC skyline with Carvana’s launch off Southwest Boulevard

By Tommy Felts / May 9, 2019

Towering over Southwest Boulevard, Missouri’s first Carvana location has been parked in Kansas City and it’s finally ready to rev its engine, Amy O’Hara confirmed Thursday. “It’s a beautiful location and we’re looking forward to showing everyone our signature car vending machine experience and the new way to buy a car,” said O’Hara, Carvana associate…

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