The Collective Funds targets Kansas City startups with $10M

By Tommy Felts | April 28, 2016

    The Collective Funds — a new venture capital group in Kansas City — will be exclusively targeting early-stage firms in the area starting as early as this summer. Led by four Kansas City entrepreneurs, the $10 million fund aims to fill an area funding gap as well as inspire a cultural shift among…

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Crawl through Kansas City’s startup scene with this happy hour tour

By Tommy Felts | April 21, 2016

After a two-year hiatus, a popular city-wide tour of area startups will return to offer residents a  chance to learn about the entrepreneurs and innovative businesses around them. Set for May 20, the 2016 Kansas City Startup Crawl will wind its way through several of the area’s startup hotbeds, highlighting coworking studios, accelerators and community…

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Inaugural smart city summit eyes the future of public safety

By Tommy Felts | March 24, 2016
smart city summit

How can technology improve the safety of a city? That subject and more will be discussed during the upcoming Smart City Tech Summit, which will host dozens of government officials and public safety professionals from around the U.S. The summit — set to take place March 29 through March 31 — will focus on the…

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Another Uber fiasco? KCMO proposes $600 fee, regulations for Airbnb hosts

By Tommy Felts | February 23, 2016

Recently proposed city regulations could throw Kansas City home-sharing in the doghouse. More than 100 area hosts and guests of services like Airbnb and VRBO fueled a discussion Monday on home-sharing regulations that the City of Kansas City, Mo., is proposing after  complaints of abuse. Led by assistant city manager Rick Usher, city officials met…

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Blake Miller: Missouri should scrap its ‘Show Me’ slogan

By Tommy Felts | February 18, 2016

Editor’s note: The following piece was inspired by recent news that Acre Designs, a startup that launched in Kansas City, will be relocating to San Francisco after facing a tepid, area investor market.    Cue the somber violin music. Another sad, all-too-familiar Kansas City story recently played out with news that Acre Designs will be leaving the…

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