Demo Day: UMKC E-Scholars partners with KC Arts Institute for more authentic entrepreneurial representation, director says

Alex Krause Matlack, director, Entrepreneurship Scholars, UMKC

Art and entrepreneurship so often go hand-in-hand, noted Alex Krause Matlack.  “Many artists will inevitably become entrepreneurs because they can create their own brand or business to showcase their craft,” explained Krause Matlack, the director of Entrepreneurship Scholars (E-Scholars) at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. “This semester, E-Scholars has a new partnership with Kansas City…

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UMKC unveils innovation studio, inviting students, entrepreneurs to collaborate within $32M research center

The Innovation Studio, Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise and Research Center, UMKC

In a hiring environment where college graduates are expected to possess honed skills for even entry-level positions, a state-of-the-art innovation studio in the heart of Kansas City allows students access to technology to actually build products within their chosen professions. “We have never had a facility like this — with the diversity of equipment and…

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Social entrepreneur cuts into kids’ shaken self-esteem: I can’t save them all, but I can put smiles on a few faces

Megan Williams, Smiles and Kuts Foundation

When Megan Williams’ daughter was diagnosed with hearing loss, the challenge put her confidence to the test.  “Sometimes kids are cruel,” Williams, a local hair stylist and salon owner, said of concerns her family faced as they sent the 5-year-old to school with hearing aids neatly tucked around her ears. Knowing full well the taunting…

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Splitsy takes top prize in Regnier challenge, adding to emerging fintech startup’s spring bump

Nolan McMichael, Brad Starnes, and Joe Allen, Splitsy

The Regnier Venture Creation Challenge doled out more than $65,000 in cash prizes to emerging startups this spring, culminating in Friday’s big win for an up-and-coming fintech app.  “We had a great competition,” Bryan Boots, managing director of venture creation and assistant teaching professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, told Startland News.  The annual…

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