A blank slate for whimsy (and work): Elevator opens doors to KC co-warehousing concept
A new co-warehousing space in North Kansas City is providing entrepreneurs like LaToya Ebony Sirls a manufacturing-ready environment that supports production — features the surging small business owner can’t get in a typical co-working setup, she said. Elevator — launched in 2022 in Omaha, Nebraska — expanded into the Kansas City market late last year….
Kansas’ bracket-style pitch competition just revealed 32 startups vying for its $25K prize
An innovation-led startup tournament taking Kansas by storm is just built different, said Conor Adler, announcing the nearly three-dozen contenders featured in this spring’s competition. “One of the most inspiring facets of Gamechangers and Champions is seeing founders from rural Kansas standing alongside entrepreneurs from our largest cities,” said Adler, investment manager for Wichita-based NXTUS,…
MTC taps entrepreneur advocate in Missouri senate as new exec, signaling statewide policy alignment
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Technology Corporation’s drive to advance innovation across the state will lean heavily on a tone already set by Gov. Mike Kehoe, said Travis Fitzwater, pledging a border-to-border economic development strategy that aligns with broader policy goals. “It starts with having a vision that’s both achievable and big enough to…
Determined optimism: How small and mid-sized businesses are growing in 2026
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Kimberly Burris is a business banking senior relationship manager for Bank of America Kansas City. The 2025 Business Owner Report confirmed what we see every day from entrepreneurs across our communities: cautious yet determined optimism. Nearly three in four business owners expect revenue…
Her family helped bring Argentine comfort food to KC’s masses; World Cup base camp kicks open new doors
As Kansas City prepares to become the FIFA World Cup base camp for four national teams — amid an expected influx of hundreds of thousands of fans from across the globe — Dulcinea Herrera is still reeling from news that Argentina’s roster will be among those calling the region home this summer. “We’re so excited. When…
Johnson County senior wins Congressional App Challenge with his school workflow workaround
Drake Semchyshyn turned a personal pain point at school into an award-winning app. The Blue Valley West senior created Catalyst — designed to improve students’ academic experience within Canvas, a widely used learning management system — winning the 2025 Congressional App Challenge for Kansas’ Third District. “The Canvas student application basically manages grades, assignments, submissions,…
Basketball helped him survive poverty; now Adeola Ajay is rooting for other children to rise in his home country
When school let out each day, young Adeola Ajayi didn’t get to go home or outside to play. Instead, he clocked in for a job he created for himself, selling seasonal produce with his brother by an African roadside so their family wouldn’t go hungry. “Survival was the daily priority,” Ajayi said of his upbringing…
Nonprofit launching retail incubator for Asian-owned businesses; next up: a cultural district in Columbus Park
A new retail incubator in a former Columbus Park tattoo shop is expected to push forward the nonprofit mission of Hella Good Deeds — amplifying the Asian community in Kansas City — while boosting sales for Asian-owned, product-based businesses, said Béty Lê Shackelford. The vision for “Jade Market”: take over the recently-vacated Tiger Alley Tattoo…
First he built the data infrastructure, then a $2B valuation: It’s new territory for AI in construction
LINCOLN, Neb. — When his Midwest startup launched, founder Luke Hansen had modest expectations for success, he said. Hansen was focused on building a sustainable business, not a billion-dollar company. “The immediate goal was like, ‘Can we make enough that we’re just not losing money every month, paying ourselves pretty low salaries?’” said Hansen, CEO…
Tech leader’s side story: Revisiting abandoned childhood dreams could help break cycles of abuse, incarceration
His storytelling startup uses artificial intelligence to craft visions of the future where children feel seen, but a new partnership with a courtroom support organization is extending Herson Fails’ mission — and magic — to adults, he said. Fails’ Six-Seven Experience aims to reconnect participants with their childhood dreams, align them with their current strengths,…
