Tag: COVID-19

Roy Scott, Healthy Hip Hop; Ina Montgomery, Urban TEC; Tammy Buckner, WeCode KC; and Edgar Palacios, Latinx Education Collaborative

LEANLAB awards $50K in seed grants to 19 Black and Latinx innovators in education

By Tommy Felts / August 28, 2020

Entrepreneurs should reflect the communities they serve, said Katie Boody — a charge even more critical when innovative work touches Kansas City’s diverse public school systems, she added. “I know firsthand how challenging launching a startup can be for anyone, and especially for founders of color,” said Boody, co-founder and CEO of LEANLAB Education, announcing the…

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Eric Buckley, EB's PB

Laid-off tech worker pivots to custom peanut butter, spreading a not-just-nuts venture across social media

By Tommy Felts / August 27, 2020

Eric Buckley is smoothing out a less-than-ideal 2020 — grinding pandemic-fueled misfortune into flavorful opportunity.  “I just kind of started getting creative,” Buckley said of his experimentation with a nutty pantry staple since losing a software sales job at a local tech company in March, a setback that inspired a path forward through entrepreneurship. “I’ve…

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Goodwill

No Coast names finalists for KC’s premier tech champions; winners revealed Sept. 16

By Tommy Felts / August 26, 2020

Inspirational leaders impacting tech aren’t confined to the coasts — nor to a pre- or post-pandemic world, said organizers of the No Coast awards, pushing forward with plans to honor significant contributions to Kansas City’s tech community virtually this fall. “We all know someone who makes waves everywhere they go — someone who, whether they’re…

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ORBI Prime 360-degree, video-recording eyewear

West Coast video-recording eyewear startup catches 5G wave of inspiration via KC accelerator

By Tommy Felts / August 25, 2020

COVID-19 kept members of this summer’s T-Mobile Accelerator cohort from experiencing Kansas City in person, said Iskander Rakhman, but the virtual format didn’t prevent startups from gaining lasting insight into 5G capabilities that could push the next wave of wearable tech. “The consumer angle to 5G hasn’t been fully explored just yet,” said Rakhman, CEO…

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Justin and Melody Woo, Popculture Gourmet Popcorn and Ice Cream

No sugarcoating it: Popculture pops amid sputtering KC snack scene with ‘say yes’ mentality

By Tommy Felts / August 24, 2020

Tucked away in the basement of their new Overland Park gourmet popcorn and ice cream shop, Justin and Melody Woo are already tasting the bold flavors of resiliency — and success — amid an ongoing pandemic that has ravaged small businesses. “I don’t want to sugarcoat it; it’s been rough,” said Melody, reflecting on the tumultuous…

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