Tag: COVID-19

A.J. Mellott and Heather Decker, Ronawk

Ronawk cultivates first funding round, fight against COVID-19 from new Olathe lab 

By Tommy Felts / June 25, 2020

As COVID-19 continues to wage war on the world, researchers in an Olathe-based lab are generating trillions of human cells that could be used to cure the ever-lingering virus.  “It eliminates a lot of the work that’s needed,” A.J. Mellott, president and co-founder of Ronawk, said of the health tech startup’s premiere product — Tissue Blocks…

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OYO Nova Gym by OYO Fitness

Reluctant gym-goers help push KC’s OYO to $4.4M in pre-sales for latest home fitness device

By Tommy Felts / June 24, 2020

A month after breaking records as the most-funded fitness product in Kickstarter history, the KC-created OYO Nova Gym closed its crowdfunding campaign with $4.4 million in pre-sales. “To say that it exceeded our expectations is a total understatement,” said Graham Ripple, COO of OYO Fitness, the Kansas City-based startup behind the handheld home gym product.…

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Luke Wade, KC Crew; photo courtesy of Nicole Bissey Photography

KC Crew dives into virtual entertainment, surviving long enough to reopen summer sports

By Tommy Felts / June 23, 2020

When COVID-19 shut down organized sports across the city, Luke and Katy Wade went back to the basics to keep KC Crew active — putting a virtual spin on classic entertainment options. “Who would have thought bingo you know?” Luke Wade said, referencing his first experiment in finding an alternative diversion for a newly online-only…

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UMKC-backed coding academy offers career reboot without the ‘imposter syndrome’

By Tommy Felts / June 23, 2020

Editor’s note: The following story is sponsored by Yoodle, a partner of STARTLAND, the parent organization of Startland News. Click here to learn about the FEC Coding Academy courses or to apply for its coming cohort, a partnership between Yoodle, the Full Employment Council and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. This story was produced independently by…

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Wheyward Spirit

Farm to flask: Spirit made from dairy byproduct aims to craft its own herd the right whey

By Tommy Felts / June 20, 2020

Wheyward Spirit is about mixing more than a tasty tonic, said Emily Darchuk, creator of a whey-based alcohol that uses the liquid byproduct of making dairy products for a sustainable sip. “We’re doing things differently for the right reasons in creating a flavorful spirit that’s good enough to sip straight, but it’s also taking a…

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