Bracket bash races to halfcourt, cutting pitch competitors down to 16 Kansas startups
The competition for $25,000 in startup capital is intensifying for more than a dozen Kansas entrepreneurs as a high-profile pitch event announced Wednesday that it had narrowed the field from 32 finalists to 16. Selected companies — half of which hail from the Kansas City region — advance to the next round of the 2026…
Ship with a smile: How SendBack is giving life in the face of a graveyard for returns
Click “start return.” That’s where SendBack steps in. The new-to-Kansas City startup built technology that catches a return the moment a shopper initiates it, explained founder Shaniqua Jones-Williams. Instead of automatically shipping it back to a warehouse, SendBack pauses the process and asks what actually makes sense — a refund, a discount to keep the…
She’s getting the empanadas ready for World Cup hunger: Here’s why Chef Silvia Miguel isn’t biting off more than she can chew
Silvia Miguel plans to greet this summer’s visitors with a taste of home, the Argentine-born business owner said. As the FIFA World Cup arrives in the metro in the coming months, Miguel and her team at Pan Caliente are crafting new products and partnerships with an international crowd in mind. The moment carries special weight…
UMKC venture challenge is adding to its prize pool: Wisdom from seasoned entrepreneurs
A series of “Bloch Talks” during this spring’s Regnier Venture Creation Challenge at UMKC is adding even more depth to a popular university event that’s expected to award $180,000 to student and community entrepreneurs, said Bryan Boots. Set for April 23 at the Henry W. Bloch School of Management, five speakers are set to give…
French-Inspired Paris Baguette bakery sets timer for downtown KC opening; B&B shutters historic theater down the block
As one high-profile set of doors closes, another is expected to open by year’s end, the Power & Light District announced Monday, teasing the late-2026 arrival of a viral scratch bakery that already has kneaded its way into Johnson County with immediate word-of-mouth success. Paris Baguette, a global franchise-based bakery with more than 4,000 locations…
&tag you’re it: Digital ID aims to give back people’s control over their data, attention
A Kansas City-built digital identity platform is launching streamlining technology to tackle what its founders see as a fundamental flaw of the world wide web: it was optimized for clicks, but never designed for the humans who use it. “Identity was left out of the Internet,” said Aaron Sloup, co-founder of The & Company, alongside…
It’s ‘the place that everyone wants to be’: Why Techstars could be back in KC for more than just hugs
Five years after Techstars left Kansas City, the global startup accelerator’s co-founder and CEO teased a comeback for the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. “We’re going to try to figure out how to continue to be a part of the Kansas City startup community,” David Cohen told a crowd of founders, investors, advocates, and Techstars alumni Thursday…
Brick by brick, new memories are moving in: How this developer sees his generation living amid KC’s past
Whether it’s the $38 million overhaul of an iconic downtown Kansas City hotel, or reheating the future of an East Crossroads industrial space — think 8,000-square-foot rooftop bar atop a no-nonsense social club — Zach Molzer is building buzz, and tearing down walls. “We’re young, with just the right amount of crazy in us to…
Hack in traction: Startups learn hustle shortcode for winning customers, narrow focus
Drilling into the customer profile for his startup — an AI-powered, curated swag marketplace aimed at early stage tech companies — Ivan Hadzhiev used tailored resources from Wichita-based NXTUS to validate a complaint keeping prospective partners from buying in. In short, a lot of options — even for custom, branded merchandise — isn’t necessarily a…
Kitchen grit caramelizes into smooth storefront opportunity for soon-to-open candy shop
The secret ingredient in Brandi Robertson’s signature sweet — a handcrafted take on her Grandmother Betty’s caramel dessert topping — isn’t found in the pantry or recipe box. Perseverance itself is the perfection within her confection, she said. “If you are going to waste calories, it better be good,” said Robertson, who spent nearly a…
