Woman-led

Kaitlin Doyle, Kevin Montanez, Kirby Montgomery, and Simone Astra Louise Montgomery; photo courtesy of Maria Butz

TheraWe exits: Pandemic opens pipeline for KC health tech startup, catching eye of NY buyer 

Kirby Montgomery announced the acquisition of TheraWe earlier this week, but — in a nod to “evening entrepreneurism” — the founder won’t actually go full-time with the startup he created three years ago until Monday. TheraWe — a HIPAA-compliant mobile video platform that bridges the gap between pediatric therapy centers and families at home — recently…

Gerald Smith, Plexpod

Created for collisions, coworking spaces adapt to a socially distant return to flexible offices

Typically focused on in-person collaboration and interaction, coworking spaces are adapting to the realities of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic — and seeing some unexpected opportunities, said Gerald Smith. “Corporate inquiries just went through the roof because suddenly they’re now looking to de-densify their corporate headquarters,” said Smith, founder of Plexpod, a progressive coworking community with four…

Westport facing dwindling foot traffic: Online sales will only get us so far, resilient entrepreneur says

Matt Bramlette is stretched thin, bouncing between his two retail shops as Westport storefronts struggle to reopen after a pandemic-induced shutdown, protests that disrupted business and other unexpected challenges. “We rely on tourists and foot traffic — two things that are few and far between right now,” said Bramlette, owner of brick-and-mortar Mid Coast Modern and…

Kyle Steppe, KC Hemp Co.

Milkman of CBD: How closing KC Hemp Co’s storefront helped deliver a 600-percent sales increase 

A new strain of strategy has KC Hemp Co. going all in on eCommerce, its owners said, announcing the company has permanently closed its downtown Overland Park retail space — transitioning to online sales and limited same-day delivery.  “We’ve been able to cut over 80 percent of our overhead,” explained Kyle Steppe, who owns KC…

Chris Whited and Lindsay Smith, Merry Outlaw

Donations drop as KC reopens — but need for help outlasts COVID’s peak, says Merry Outlaw

Merry Outlaw’s quick pivot to a COVID-19 Mutual Aid app raised $11,000 in a little over a month — but donations slowed as people turned their eyes back to “normal life,” said Lindsay Smith.  “Our first month we hit $10,000 — and you don’t want to get discouraged about this — but in the beginning,…