Startups

VIDEO: Empowering at-risk women, Weave Gotcha Covered founder reflects on journey

By Tommy Felts / July 21, 2017

About 10 years ago, Kelly Wilson’s family was one of the many that was hit hard by the Great Recession. A former stay at home mom, Wilson had to figure out a way to support her family. She eventually found a job at a local fabric store for $5 an hour, which was the minimum…

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Connecting social entrepreneurs, Conquer for Good launches event series

By Tommy Felts / July 17, 2017

To spur the creation of socially-conscious enterprises in Kansas City, brand strategy firm Will & Grail announced Thursday the launch of Conquer for Good: Connect, an event series. Following up on the conversation from the Conquer for Good conference in March, the monthly event series will feature talks from Kansas City business leaders who lead…

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Techstars Kansas City announces inaugural class

By Tommy Felts / July 17, 2017

To the delight of its leader, Techstars Kansas City’s first class has a hearty local flavor. Techstars KC on Monday welcomed 10 tech firms — five of which hail from Kansas and Missouri — for its three-month, mentor-led program that rapidly accelerates startup companies. With ambitions to transform the companies into global tech titans, Techstars KC…

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HEMP is seeking qualified mentors, mentees for its 2017 class

By Tommy Felts / July 14, 2017

Barnett Helzberg’s entrepreneurial program is seeking qualified applicants for both mentors and mentees. The Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program (HEMP) will accept up to 25 mentees from the greater Kansas City area for the class of 2017. Whether you run a scale up or a startup business, the program vows to match up successful entrepreneurs, creating…

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SoftBank’s $100B fund manager: Kansas City is a place people want to stay

By Tommy Felts / July 13, 2017

SoftBank Capital managing partner Ron Fisher recently said he’s open to deploying some of the $100 billion fund he helps manage in the Midwest, including Kansas City. In an interview with VentureBeat, Fisher discussed Tokyo-based SoftBank’s bold plans to dish some $50 billion in venture capital to U.S. firms and thereby create 50,000 jobs. SoftBank…

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