Woman-led

Swifties made her work famous; Now this KC maker has opened a fourth retail shop

By Tommy Felts / October 29, 2025

Sales jumped after Taylor Swift was seen wearing one of EB and Co.’s rings at a key moment in the popstar’s high-profile romance with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The jolt of exposure helped propel the brand’s expansion — most recently the opening of a fourth shop in downtown Lee’s Summit. “This location was requested…

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Alexa, show me the winners: Storytailor leads Pure Pitch Rally prize tally ahead of tech launch

By Tommy Felts / October 28, 2025

Storytailor’s marquee Pure Pitch Rally win comes at the perfect time for the Kansas City startup, its founders said. They’re preparing to roll out a new immersive storytelling platform through a partnership with Amazon’s Alexa+ next year — a move expected to bring their tech to more than 200 million Prime users. “It’s the most…

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LISTEN: How the Midwest opened this German agtech company’s eyes to opportunity in the US

By Tommy Felts / October 27, 2025

On this episode of our 12-part Plug and Play Topeka podcast series, we connect with Débora Moretti, co-CEO of NutriSen — a Berlin-based agtech startup building real-time molecular sensors to measure nutrient concentrations in plants directly on the field. Moretti shares how her team, alongside co-founder Tobias Vöpel, is merging biosensor technology, data-driven insights and…

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Kauffman Foundation announces first-ever semifinalists for Uncommon Leader Impact Award

By Tommy Felts / October 23, 2025

A new leadership prize aimed at celebrating changemakers at organizations aligned with the priorities of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is closer to naming its first winner, the influential nonprofit announced Wednesday, revealing 12 semifinalists culled from more than 300 nominations. “The response from community members across the Kansas City metro area was tremendous,” said…

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Main Street is already harnessing AI to build wealth; adoption now key to region’s growth, heartland leaders say

By Tommy Felts / October 22, 2025

WICHITA, Kan. — Artificial intelligence is likely to be one of the most transformative technologies of the digital era, said Taylor Eubanks, noting that AI’s thoughtful deployment can be a tool for growth, not displacement.  “By engaging directly with entrepreneurs, small businesses, nonprofit leaders and local innovators, we can better support responsible AI adoption that…

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