Austin Barnes
Executive Editor, Startland News
Austin is a growth-focused business strategist with deep roots in media and storytelling. As executive editor, he leads Startland’s revenue generation, partnership strategy, and market expansion— aligning mission-driven journalism with scalable business models.
With over a decade of experience spanning media, brand development, and strategic communications, Austin has helped grow Startland’s reach beyond Kansas City, launching new monetization efforts and driving engagement with more than 700,000 readers each year. His work bridges entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable growth —positioning Startland as a national model for community-centered media.
Recent Articles by Austin Barnes
UV light really can kill Coronavirus, founder says — and his tech proves it from the inside
Outfitting existing HVAC systems with ultraviolet lighting in offices and public spaces could be the most sustainable, long-term solution to eliminating the Coronavirus — and fears over returning to work, said Dave Ogle. “I know there’s a lot of jokes. President Trump [talking about] sticking UV up people’s rear ends — which is total nonsense,” joked Ogle,…
Art teacher-turned-maker: You don’t need to be in a museum to be a ‘real artist’ (or full-time to be an entrepreneur)
Amid the hustle and bustle of raising a young family and teaching elementary school art, Sara Kharatyan sneaks away to her kiln. It’s her quiet place; a spot just for her, tucked away in her Parkville home. And what started as a hobby is now padding her family’s bank account in unexpected ways. “The business…
Chef Collective KC cooks up plan for long-term sustainability as pandemic, hunger persist
The global pandemic didn’t create Kansas City’s food insecurity challenges, said Jon Taylor, but COVID-19’s impact did expose how quickly the line can be blurred or even erased for those looking for their next meal. “There are a substantial number of people who [because they lost their jobs] went from having what they viewed as…
Double exposure: How quick action streamed a stellar survival story for sister-led film studio
When Kansas City’s event scene went dark in the early days of the pandemic, Stellar Image Studios seized a lights-camera-action opportunity to add new value to a suddenly virtual world, said Jasmine Baudler. “I encourage people not to cancel their virtual events or their fundraisers or galas because — even though it’s hard — it’s…
DashNow pivot from QR tech to text trigger helps keep JoCo startup, hundreds of restaurants serving
In an entrepreneurial landscape chewed up by social distancing, it’s feast or famine for local restaurants — but DashNow has a recipe for recovery, said Brett Karlin. “The value is being able to work with these local businesses. To help them out, to provide a product that they need to help keep their doors open,” added…
Ronawk cultivates first funding round, fight against COVID-19 from new Olathe lab
As COVID-19 continues to wage war on the world, researchers in an Olathe-based lab are generating trillions of human cells that could be used to cure the ever-lingering virus. “It eliminates a lot of the work that’s needed,” A.J. Mellott, president and co-founder of Ronawk, said of the health tech startup’s premiere product — Tissue Blocks…
Peek inside Tesseract HQ: Robotics startup builds future in real time (with humans on the brain)
As an intentionally lowered screen begins to lift on Tesseract Ventures, once-seemingly-wild ideas that lived only in tech inventor John Boucard’s head are being realized. With them, the future of work is taking shape — 3D-printed piece by 3D-printed piece — hardwired in the suburbs of Kansas City. “We were a bit mysterious in the…
KingFit acquisition fuels expansion plans in Mexico, focuses bilingual health tech startup
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. WICHITA…
UMKC-backed coding academy offers career reboot without the ‘imposter syndrome’
Editor’s note: The following story is sponsored by Yoodle, a partner of STARTLAND, the parent organization of Startland News. Click here to learn about the FEC Coding Academy courses or to apply for its coming cohort, a partnership between Yoodle, the Full Employment Council and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. This story was produced independently by…
New party-goers every 15 minutes: How KC-designed Mixaba could put humanity back into happy hour
Andrew Carlson is the first to admit he isn’t the most vocal person at a party — but even he knew 30 people trying to talk over each other at a virtual happy hour isn’t the solution to socially distant socializing. “Right now everybody’s staring at each other behind the screen A one-on-one conversation is fairly…