Woman-led

Mr K finalist reveal: Meet the 10 contenders for KC Chamber’s Small Business of the Year

By Tommy Felts / April 18, 2025

The KC Chamber just announced the 10 finalists for its prestigious 2025 Small Business of the Year honor — setting the stage for a two-month campaign for selected entrepreneurs that ends this summer with one company crowned the Mr. K Award winner. “Small businesses remain the driving force of Kansas City’s economy, and we couldn’t…

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USDA approves KC biotech startup’s secret weapon in the fight against cancer in dogs

By Tommy Felts / April 18, 2025

Full USDA approval of a Kansas City startup’s bone cancer therapy for dogs reflects a more-than-decade-long commitment to improving the lives of pets and their families, said Tammie Wahaus, CEO of ELIAS Animal Health. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics recently approved the first-in-class ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI) treatment for canine osteosarcoma…

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KC’s college education gap is widening based on income; new effort targets barriers to dreams after high school

By Tommy Felts / April 16, 2025

A just-announced initiative — backed by the Bloch Family Foundation — has a straightforward goal: put more college advisors in Kansas City Public Schools and develop a strategic plan to boost access to quality, affordable college education or career training after high school. The newly launched Kansas City College and Career Attainment Network (KCCAN) already…

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OMG! Her gooey butter cookies saved the family home; now this KC shop is baking even more believers

By Tommy Felts / April 16, 2025

St. Louis cult favorite — gooey butter cake — serves as the springboard for a new Kansas City bakery … with a twist. It also sells gooey butter cookies. “Gooey butter cake is a St. Louis tradition. It’s where I’m from and we have the family recipe,” said Tennille Lampe, founder of Oh My Gooey…

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Ideem locks in $2.4M seed round for trust tech spinout driven by Toby Rush, startup veterans

By Tommy Felts / April 15, 2025

The Ideem team has a clear vision for how to make two-factor authentication easy and invisible for users, serial tech entrepreneur Toby Rush said, noting an early investment round will help the rapidly emerging startup double-down. Ideem announced a $2.4 million seed round Tuesday, backed by Sovereign’s Capital, Quona Capital, Everywhere Ventures, Hustle Fund, Oread…

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