LaunchKC, the $500K grant competition, opens applications

By Tommy Felts | April 1, 2016

The popular LaunchKC grants competition is back for more and is now accepting applications. LaunchKC — which attracted nearly 500 applicants in its inaugural 2015 competition — dishes out 10, $50,000 non-dilutive grants to tech entrepreneurs from around the globe. “We are searching for the best and brightest startups or early stage technology businesses to apply…

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Thomas: 3 investing lessons from your busted bracket

By Tommy Felts | March 24, 2016
busted bracket

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. It’s here — the one month of the year where a single college basketball tournament costs employers a collective $1.2 billion for every hour of lost productivity. And it’s fantastic! I’m a big believer that we can find investing lessons in nearly every…

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Top 10 Kansas City startups to watch in 2016

By Tommy Felts | January 6, 2016

Kansas City is home to countless startups. But what early-stage ventures are the most promising and worth a closer look? As we entered 2016, Startland News evaluated the area’s top startups based on the strength of their team, current traction, disruptiveness and job growth potential. Below is a list of the top 10 area enterprises we’ve…

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Blooom wins Kauffman Foundation pitch bout, $10K

By Tommy Felts | November 18, 2015

Can anything stop Blooom? Continuing its streak of wins and successes, the financial tech firm on Wednesday morning won a national pitch contest at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Leawood-based Blooom beat out four other finalists in the inaugural One in a Million pitch contest, which initially drew more than 350 applicants. Blooom survived several…

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