App snaps pics of items to ease moving process, MovinHouz founders say

What started as a couple of bad moving experiences developed into a mobile app to simplify the relocation process, said MovinHouz co-founders. Dominic Klobe and Chris Perrin, co-founders of Olathe-based MovinHouz, a tech startup incubated at Digital Sandbox KC, are building an app that connects moving companies to customers in need of their services, Klobe…

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Is government helping startups enough? Founders feel isolated, Kauffman survey finds

Early stage entrepreneurs struggle with the technical steps to getting started, a new Kauffman survey found, and founders don’t believe the government is helping them. The prevailing sentiment that entrepreneurs view themselves as isolated from assistance is understandable, said Melissa Roberts, vice president of strategy and economic development at the Enterprise Center in Johnson County.…

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Kauffman survey: Women more critical of their own early-stage entrepreneurial efforts

Women entrepreneurs are more likely than their male counterparts to grade their performances harshly during the first year of business, though that tendency typically fades over time, according to a new survey by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. It often is about approaching the venture a realistic viewpoint, said Jeff Shackelford, executive director of Digital…

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Happy holidays: Three startups receive Digital Sandbox funds

They might not be wrapped with a bow, but Digital Sandbox KC has delivered three gifts to area startups ahead of the holidays. The proof-of-concept incubator program is dishing grants to TradeLanes, Hungry? and MusicSpoke — three startups that aim to revamp their respective industries with innovative technologies, said Jeff Shackelford, director of Digital Sandbox.…

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Olathe mayor touts startup community in pitch for Amazon HQ2

With a workforce rich in entrepreneurial spirit, Amazon would be wise to tap Kansas City for its second headquarters, Michael Copeland said. “The climate has cultivated world-class start-up businesses and nurtured corporate giants, and it’s been a source of support and stability for everything in between,” said Copeland, mayor of Olathe. “It fosters risk-taking and…

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