Tag: Startup Road Trip

When farmers get paid faster, everyone eats; HitchPin brings fintech to ag, good to humanity, founder says

By Tommy Felts / September 3, 2025

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro.  The fintech revolution typically overlooks agriculture, Trevor McKeeman said, noting that any move to bring tools — like a payment platform within a digital marketplace — definitely breaks ground for…

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Kansas company beefs up natural qualities of meat, tallow with tech, not enhancements

By Tommy Felts / August 5, 2025

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro.  WAKEENEY, Kan. — Plainview Beef is more than just a name for the western Kansas direct-to-consumer company, CEO Gabe Orr shared. It’s a nod to a mission rooted as much in…

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Landlord’s solution to Kansas housing crisis: 3D print his own home inventory 

By Tommy Felts / June 3, 2025

TOPEKA — Regularly confronted with a lack of supply in the housing market — and the subsequent higher prices — landlord and general capital investor Chris Stemler faced a multi-dimensional challenge. “I thought to myself, ‘How do I help solve an inventory problem?’ the Topeka-based Trident Homes founder said.  “I know I’ve got renters who…

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Topeka recruited dozens of Filipino teachers for local classrooms; at year’s end, the district hopes they’ll stay

By Tommy Felts / May 29, 2025

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro.  TOPEKA — Although international educators are not new to the state’s capital city, Topeka welcomed about 50 teachers from the Philippines this past school year to address shortages within the…

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Chatterbox speaks the language of reluctant learners: games featuring global cast of AI tutors

By Tommy Felts / January 23, 2025

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro.  WICHITA — A Kansas-built language-learning app takes a gamified approach to fluency — inspired by travel and the simple joys of players feel when competing in traditional board games, said…

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