Lyft and Kansas City may reunite thanks to new ride-sharing law

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on Monday signed legislation that could bring the ride-sharing company Lyft back to the Kansas City market. Passed with strong support from Missouri lawmakers, Gov. Greitens’ signature sets forth regulations for ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft, including licensing fees, background checks and inspections. Lyft halted its Kansas City operations…

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Uber exec with KC ties resigns to explore Kansas politics

An Uber executive with strong ties to Kansas City has announced his resignation and return to Kansas. Uber announced Tuesday that Brian McClendon, vice president of maps and business platforms at Uber, would be stepping down from his post as he explores a life in Kansas politics. A University of Kansas graduate, McClendon in January…

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Four female entrepreneurs will represent KC in UberPITCH contest

Four Kansas City entrepreneurs will be celebrating global entrepreneurship week on the East Coast as they vie for part of a $120,000 pie. Kansas City’s representatives — which are listed below — represent a diverse set of industries, including tech, health and agriculture. Kansas City was one of five participating cities in UberPITCH — a…

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Kansas Citians preparing for plethora of pitch competitions

A staple of early-stage business — the elevator pitch — will be on full display for the Kansas City community in coming weeks. Entrepreneurs from around the metro area have several upcoming opportunities to pitch their businesses or to hear other innovators deliver spiels on their firms. Here are few of those events. The University of Kansas’…

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Kauffman Foundation, Uber launch grant contest for women-led startups

Female entrepreneurs in Kansas City may not have the luxury of riding a “glass escalator,” but on Oct. 26 they can take an Uber ride for a chance at $120,000. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation on Tuesday announced UberPITCH, a nationwide pitch competition in partnership with Uber and business accelerator The Refinery. Women-led startups will…

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