Adam Arredondo
CEO of Startland
Recent Articles by Adam Arredondo
2021 Kansas City’s VC-Backed Companies Report
Higher headcounts and more than a billion dollars in funds raised. The 2021 Kansas City Venture Capital-Backed Companies Report provides a rare snapshot into the bustling, two-state metro’s growth-stage, venture-backed companies. The 2021 report — the culmination of a three-month collaboration between UMKC’s Technology Venture Studio and Startland News — reflects not only ongoing deal…
Kansas City’s Top VC-Backed Companies in 2020
The 2020 Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies List reflects a range of success stories and COVID-era challenges among Kansas City’s community of growth-stage, venture-backed companies. The list — updated annually by Startland News and its parent organization, Startland — shows that while few companies were spared from COVID-19’s impact, many of Kansas City’s leading entrepreneurs continued to grow…
The Kansas City you know is dying; Open letter to banks, donor-advised funds, and fellow Kansas Citians
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Adam Arredondo is CEO of STARTLAND — formerly the Kansas City Startup Foundation — the parent organization of Startland News and the talent programs MECA Challenge, MECA Methods, and Back2KC. This opinion piece was produced independently of Startland News with light editing. No…
Kansas City’s Top VC-Backed Companies in 2019
The Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies List recognizes the momentum pushing an emerging cohort of Kansas City growth-stage, venture-backed companies. Simply put, the list — updated and now published annually — shows a massive increase in venture capital deployed to Kansas City companies in 2019, as well as a significant jump in jobs at those businesses….
2018 Top VC-Backed Companies in Kansas City List
The Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies in Kansas City List recognizes the growing cohort of growth-stage, venture-backed companies in the Kansas City metro — further illustrating the impact of the countless efforts aimed at boosting entrepreneurship in the region and creating a productive dialogue. The list is expected to be updated and published annually. The 2018…
Arredondo: Serendipity, passion collide to form the KC Startup Foundation
I’m not going to lie. It’s been a heckuva ride. Who could have imagined the Kansas City Startup Village’s serendipitous start in Fall 2012 would turn into all this? Not me. I vividly remember the nights Matthew Marcus and I were awake at 2 a.m., trying to keep up with the flood of emails from…
Arredondo: Our education system is creating an army of unemployable people
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the commentary are the author’s alone. I have good and bad news. The good news? There are more than 5,700,000 jobs available in the United States as you read this — the most jobs available at any time in the history of our country. The bad news? As of 2012,…
Arredondo: Area universities, startups must collaborate for talent pipeline
The following is an open letter from Startland News community builder Adam Arredondo to area universities. Dear Kansas City-area university leaders, I’ve spent a lot of time working with both students and representatives from many area universities over the last few years. It’s been an eye-opening, roller coaster of a learning experience which has driven…
Arredondo: The Economist documentary, recent press great for Kansas City
It’s no secret that I’m a total homer for Kansas City. I truly believe that we have the opportunity and ability to become a world-class, 21st-century city. With that being said, I’ve been known to hyperbolize when it comes to the promise I see in Kansas City. But recently, our city has sold itself with…