Woman-led

Nonprofit founded to equip K-9 officers with bulletproof vests goes viral thanks to four-legged artists

By Tommy Felts / November 16, 2023

LAWRENCE — What began as a problem keeping Emily Fawcett up at night has grown into a tail-wagging nonprofit effort recently featured on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” — all thanks to a viral social media post showcasing a Kansas police dog painting instead of panting. Fawcett, whose background is in animal welfare, was asked in 2020…

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LaunchKC awards $300K: Six new startups enter the winners’ circle with KC investments

By Tommy Felts / November 15, 2023

Editor’s note: Startland News’ coverage of Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City is made possible by the support of Husch Blackwell. Emerging entrepreneurs don’t need Silicon Valley to launch or scale their startups, said Holly Andra Small, leader of one of six companies announced Tuesday as $50,000 winners in LaunchKC’s grants competition.  “We were so excited,” said…

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Digital Health KC earns $2M federal grant, doubled by matching funds from Kauffman Foundation

By Tommy Felts / November 14, 2023

Three weeks after Kansas City’s designation as a U.S. “Tech Hub,” the region has earned “tremendous funding to jumpstart KC’s digital health cluster,” said Maria Meyers, informally announcing a $2 million federal grant — matched by an award from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The Build to Scale grant was awarded to the University of…

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Pitch competition at GEW Topeka puts $38K on the line for women, entrepreneurs of color

By Tommy Felts / November 14, 2023

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.  TOPEKA — Building an equitable business community in Shawnee County is critical to economic development in and around the state’s capital city, said Glenda Washington. A pitch competition slated for…

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These three KC startup founders are jumping into the Dolphin Tank, hoping to swim with the unicorns

By Tommy Felts / November 10, 2023

When the Dolphin Tank pitch showcase sinks its teeth into a market like Kansas City, the goal is to accelerate women-led tech companies to a national level, said Rachel Rong. “Our mission is to build out the ecosystem and support women entrepreneurs in Kansas City,” said Rong, the director of operations for Springboard Enterprises, which…

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