Tag: KC Rising

KC Rising red flag: Educated talent leaving KC, metro tech jobs unfilled

By Tommy Felts / March 7, 2018

More college-educated workers are leaving Kansas City than being drawn to the region, according to a new KC Rising report. That means local companies are forced to look outward for qualified talent, said Ryan Weber. “Most of those tech firms are hiring; it’s just for skill sets that few people have,” said Weber, president of…

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Pioneering KCI airport vote should help land top talent, startup leaders say

By Tommy Felts / November 8, 2017

Capping a six-year journey fraught with turbulence, delays and political drama, voters overwhelmingly ratified plans to build a new $1.3 billion airport terminal, which would replace the existing Kansas City International Airport (KCI). “Kansas City has never been about being just mediocre,” said Michael Wilson, founder of luxury watch brand Niall and a frequent traveler…

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Darcy Howe’s hustle grows, guides KCRise Fund in first year

By Tommy Felts / March 2, 2017

Kansas City may not realize its good fortune with the tenacious manager of a relatively new fund that’s investing in early-stage firms. Self-described as a builder that’s competitive and impatient, Darcy Howe is weaving her years of determined leadership into the KCRise Fund, which just wrapped up its first year with $14 million in the…

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Darcy Howe

KCRise fund lands $10M to kickoff startup investing

By Tommy Felts / September 22, 2016

Kansas City-area startups have a new, local fund to boost their investment rounds. The KCRise fund announced Thursday the closing of $10 million that will co-invest with institutional venture capital groups in early-stage companies based in the Kansas City area. Launched in February in conjunction with the KC Rising economic initiative, the fund was created…

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New $20M fund supercharges VC dollars in Kansas City

By Tommy Felts / February 29, 2016

In conjunction with a metro-wide effort to boost the area economy, Kansas City will soon have a new co-investment fund that aims to accelerate early-stage businesses. As part of the KC Rising economic initiative, the “KC Rise Fund” hopes to improve a common gripe in Kansas City’s entrepreneurial community that there’s not enough capital to…

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