Tag: A.J. Mellott

Ronawk lauds departing chief science officer as she launches her own biotech startup

By Tommy Felts / November 4, 2025

Kansas City’s life sciences ecosystem continues to expand, the founders of Ronawk said Monday, celebrating plans for the Overland Park biotech company’s chief scientific officer to launch her own venture — returning to her roots in diagnostics and drug development, and growing the region’s culture of innovation. Dr. Amy Manning-Boğ is transitioning from her role…

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Biotech startup’s $6.5M Series A expected to cultivate expanded workforce, research capabilities

By Tommy Felts / August 24, 2023

Ronawk’s Bio-Block Universe has already revolutionized cell and tissue production, Tom Jantsch said, and the recent investment of $6.5 million is set to further research and development. “We have really changed the paradigm of how not only cell culture is done, but how researchers are able to scale. They can go from the bench, all…

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Melissa Vincent, Pipeline Entrepreneurs, and Donald Hawkins, Kinly, at the 2022 Pipeline Innovators gala

Pipeline Innovators gala adds glamour, top honors back into the mix for celebration of fellows 

By Tommy Felts / May 21, 2022

A remixed Pipeline Innovators gala honored veteran and emerging fellows from within the elite startup founder network Friday — returning the full live celebration to a stage in Kansas City for the first time since 2018 and crowning two new Innovator of the Year recipients. Marking the first Innovators gala for Pipeline executive director Melissa…

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WATCH: Small biz struggles didn’t begin with pandemic pinch, says Rep. Davids; solutions go beyond COVID relief

By Tommy Felts / February 24, 2022

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exaggerated pain points that small business owners were already facing before the global health crisis, said U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids. “I really think that what the pandemic did was, in some ways, highlighted the things that we should have been focusing on. … I know a lot…

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Scott Leigh, Tom Jantsch, Heather Decker and A.J. Mellott, Ronawk

Ronawk accelerates its growth with exec hires, creation of expansive ‘Bio-Block Universe’

By Tommy Felts / January 21, 2022

Synergy and chemistry are just as important as expertise when hiring strategic, high-level positions within a startup, said A.J. Mellott. “Ronawk has gone from this startup with its organized chaos, to having structured pathways that have emerged because we are better informed. That in itself has been really exciting and stimulating. We are more of…

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