Tag: DFA CoLAB Accelerator

KC-baked snack cracker startup tastes new markets, opportunities fueled by regenerative agriculture

By Tommy Felts / August 17, 2023

SAN ANTONIO — Five years after the company experienced crunch time in the Kansas City-based Sprint Accelerator, Cheddies Crackers has expanded its line of high-protein, low-carb cheddar crackers into more than 2,500 retailers nationwide, said Francisco Pergola. RELATED: Say ‘cheese,’ KC! Cheddies arrive in Hy-Vee stores after Sprint Accelerator Pergola — who co-founded the San…

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Meet the charcuterie board of dairy, agtech startups joining the latest DFA accelerator

By Tommy Felts / April 6, 2021

A returning, Kansas City-based accelerator program focused on innovative dairy products and emerging agtech will be a living, breathing lab for seven newly selected companies, said Doug Dresslaer. Facial recognition software for cows, nanotechnologies to help treat mastitis and a single-serve, snack-sized cheese bar are among the startups now convening virtually as part of the…

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Music no, murals a go: Your fall events calendar won’t look the same as festivals grapple with COVID reality

By Tommy Felts / August 21, 2020

With summer winding to an anticlimactic end amid COVID-19 restrictions, outdoor festivals aren’t immune to the pandemic’s impact, organizers said, noting high-profile changes and cancelations for Kansas City’s annual fall events lineup. Among the 2020 festivals going silent: the original PorchFestKC. “I dragged my feet saying it out loud just because I hated that it…

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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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Two Kansas City tech startups selected for newly rebranded T-Mobile Accelerator

By Tommy Felts / May 19, 2020

Innovative drone technology and smart apartment management solutions helped two Kansas City startups earn spots among the freshly launched T-Mobile Accelerator’s six-company cohort. Aware Vehicles, led by PJ Piper, and Homebase, founded by Blake Miller, were announced Tuesday as members of the 2020 program, formerly the Sprint Accelerator. The 90-day accelerator began earlier this month…

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