Woman-led

Tealbottom shoes by Tealhouse

Tealbottom heels might just save the planet, says tech founder-turned-luxury shoemaker

By Tommy Felts / September 10, 2020

Globetrotter Jaqui McCarthy always travels in style, the serial entrepreneur-influencer said, detailing a journey that led her to develop a distinctive, fashion-forward shoe line made from eco-friendly bio materials. It begins with an unwanted fellow passenger: metal in the heels of her high-heeled pumps. “As an avid traveler with TSA precheck, I should be able…

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Photo by Tiffany Tertipes Curbside Notary

Voting by mail? Curbside Notary bringing ballot service to coffee shops, restaurants

By Tommy Felts / September 8, 2020

Everyone deserves the right to vote safely, said Danielle Lehman, steering her innovative mind toward Curbside Notary — an effort to connect Missouri mail-in voters with notaries at easy-to-access locations like coffee shops and restaurants. “I started thinking about, ‘Where are people visiting every day?’ A lot of people go get their coffee in the…

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Tiffany and Brian Kim, My Play Cafe

Toddlers and baristas: MY Play Cafe bets on playground coffee shop concept in Lee’s Summit

By Tommy Felts / August 18, 2020

You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, Tiffany Kim said, recalling a trip to Las Vegas that inspired her to roll the entrepreneurial dice back home in Kansas City — despite a raging pandemic.  “I call it the most relaxing day of my motherhood career,” laughed Tiffany, co-founder of Lee’s Summit-based MY Play Cafe, recalling…

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Stephen Ajayi and Samuel Ajayi, PocketMentor

Techstars KC doubles down on virtual demo day with 1-minute pitches, Brad Feld panel

By Tommy Felts / August 12, 2020

Since COVID-19 kept members of Techstars Kansas City’s 2020 cohort from visiting the City of Fountains during the three-month accelerator, an Aug. 27 virtual demo day will be as much a meet-and-greet with the startups as a pitch event for potential investors, said Lesa Mitchell. “Our cohort didn’t ever come to KC. That was horrible…

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Image courtesy of Visit Topeka

Behind the scenes of Topeka’s innovation district: Why leaders think a new startup hub is rising west of KC 

By Tommy Felts / August 5, 2020

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. [divide]…

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