Austin Barnes and Tommy Felts
Recent Articles by Austin Barnes and Tommy Felts
Cyber threats and opportunities: Why did 50+ KC schoolgirls get a peek at Fishtech’s high-security campus?
You never know when an opportunity will find you, Alex Vendetti told a group of Kansas City high school girls touring the Fishtech Group cybersecurity campus. “I was a hairstylist before this,” Vendetti, a project manager at Fishtech, told groups of students making their ways through the cybersecurity startup’s sprawling Martin City facilities Friday. The…
Photos: Startup Crawl KC draws 1,000+ to the Crossroads, despite First Fridays overhaul
Mission accomplished, said organizers of Startup Crawl KC, announcing record attendance during the fifth showing of the innovation expo. “Best Startup Crawl ever,” said Gerald Smith, co-founder of Plexpod — which played host Oct. 4 to one of the Crawl’s three stops at its Crossroads Arts District location. More than 1,000 guests descended on the…
Advice for women founders: Be ‘tough as balls’ but don’t fear asking for help, panelists say
Want to rise to the top? Stop limiting yourself to gender roles in the workplace, declared Jene’ Hong. “I didn’t see people as male or female,” Hong, told a crowd gathered for Startland’s Innovation Exchange: Investing in the Power of Women. “I started off in accounting — everyone was male. I was taught to curse…
Downtown innovation district: Developers envision 30-story Lightwell project as its own startup hub
It’s possible the Lightwell building’s exterior hasn’t been cleaned since 1977, joked Tim Schaffer as he walked a vine-wrapped rooftop terrace that overlooks downtown Kansas City. “It was totally unintentional, the way it came together,” Schaffer, president of AREA Real Estate Advisors, said of the multi-million-dollar office redevelopment project that’s quickly evolved into what Schaffer…
Hilly KU campus inspires ‘back sweat’ innovation for Startup Weekend KC team
If more entrepreneurs were willing to invest a little sweat alongside virtual strangers, they’d carry an even larger number of cutting-edge startups to success, Tyler Sherman said. “In two days, we have a product that I feel comfortable enough to say we’ll roll with,” Sherman, a participant in the recent Techstars Startup Weekend, said of…
SpraySeeMo returns to Crossroads, painting a shared space for graffiti artists, businesses (Photos)
An annual transformation of the Crossroads Arts District, SpraySeeMO paints more than graffiti-like murals, explained Lexi Walz. It creates energetic and collaborative opportunities for area businesses and talented artists. “Essentially, we’re a group of architects and designers all consumed with creating experiences and emotions through design,” said Walz, marketing and content manager at Generator Studio…
Hyperloop One on display in KC: Imagine being first-ever passenger to ride its 600 mph pod (Photos)
While not a single passenger has yet stepped foot aboard Virgin’s Hyperloop One, that doesn’t mean the technology isn’t more realistic than ever before, explained Jay Walder. “People can’t really imagine what it would feel like to go 600 miles an hour,” said Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One — which pulled onto the track…
Peek inside: Project Commons teen accelerator pilot aims for ‘innovation, collaboration, impact’
Innovation is growing on the third floor of Goodwill’s East Crossroads center, enabling Kansas City’s next generation to take ownership of their city. “We really wanted to sort of address their needs, hear more about their voice and engage with them,” William Dowdell, program director at Hire KC, said of the 21 students who make…
Tea-Biotics bottles $1.2M in quick funding round; taps into thirsty new markets for kombucha
From jar-lined countertops in her kitchen to a 13,000-square-foot facility brimming with brew tanks, Lisa Bledsoe’s mission to pour Kansas City a more refreshing bottle of “booch” is scaling fast, she explained over a freshly tapped glass of her “Beachlife”-flavored kombucha. “I think it can be an inspiration for younger women or even other women…
Explore inside: Thee Outpost offers fresh brew of Thou Mayest, Collective Ex coffee-creative collaboration (Photos)
The way is open and a new era has begun for Kansas City’s dreamers, doers, makers, and caffeinated creators. “I’m really pulling that curtain back [and letting] makers do what they do,” explained Johnny Dawbarn, founder of Collective Ex — a collaborative of artisans, designers and creatives at 519 E. 18th St., now open to…