Tag: Startup Road Trip

‘The people demand mustard’: This stained glass artist dipped into corn dogs (and hungry shoppers ate it up)

By Tommy Felts / December 18, 2024

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.  LAWRENCE — Selling holiday shoppers on stained glass corn dogs was unexpectedly easy, said Darleen Schillaci; adding mustard and keeping up with buyers’ appetite, however, proved the meatiest challenge. The…

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Design-Zyme, KU researchers latch onto $3M SBIR award for Lyme disease vaccine

By Tommy Felts / October 17, 2024

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.  LAWRENCE — Vaccine development at KU Innovation Park could help stop an uptick in Lyme disease in its tracks, using a just-announced $3 million in federal funds to bring a…

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KU Innovation Park launches Oread Angel Investors network to boost Jayhawk startups

By Tommy Felts / September 30, 2024

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.  LAWRENCE — A newly announced angel investor network is expected to support high-growth tech and bioscience startups linked to the University of Kansas, said Adam Courtney, opening greater access to…

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Man of unexpected taste: How this Kansas farmer’s sweet pivot grew into a destination winery 

By Tommy Felts / August 30, 2024

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.  PAOLA, Kansas — When Mark Allison planted elderberries in 2010 on his 42-acre property in rural Miami County, he didn’t envision making his own wine and opening a tasting room,…

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Meet the founder distilling greatness (and fusion flavors) into Kansas’ first Black-owned vodka brand 

By Tommy Felts / May 3, 2024

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 — Greatness isn’t given; it’s earned, said Troy Brooks. But it comes one step at a time, and not without its challenges, he said. The entrepreneur behind Kansas’ first Black-owned…

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