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
Testing an idea? Startup matchmaker aims to make Wichita the ‘Pilot Capital of the World’
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…
Miami-bound: KC eSports pioneer carrying gaming industry to the Super Bowl stage
AbdulRasheed Yahaya never doubted his non-traditional career had mileage, but the KC eSports pioneer couldn’t have envisioned it would drive him to a Super Bowl, he said — let alone one set to feature the Kansas City Chiefs. “By God’s grace, I get to be a role model to the youth, [show them] that an African…
2020 Startups to Watch: Fishtech Group secures KC as a cyber-defense stronghold
Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2020’s companies. Click here to view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch. By the end of 2020, Fishtech Group will be nearing 300 employees, furthering the exponential effect the startup has had on…
2020 Startups to Watch: Tesseract Ventures building future of AI, robotics alongside ‘titans of industry’
Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2020’s companies. Click here to view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch. The smartest minds in the Kansas City area have assembled in offices from the Crossroads to Martin City, working to build…
10 Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2020
Their hustle is fierce — their stories, strategies and strengths uncommon. The future newsmakers rounding out Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2020 list are hungry to disrupt. They’re eager to drive and inspire innovation in industries under-explored or altogether forgotten. They’re creating awareness; offering sustainable solutions to everyday problems. These are startups…
BetaBlox veteran Nathan Corn flexes ‘bootstrapped’ label with $12M in annual revenue
Nathan Corn began with hustle and an $8,000 nest egg, determined to make it as an entrepreneur who tapped Kansas City resources but wasn’t limited by geography, he said. “[I said,] ‘If I can take the next 10 years of my life and just give everything to growing a company, then that’s it. I’m going…
Clark Hunt: Super Bowl-bound KC Chiefs didn’t get it right overnight; founders won’t either
If entrepreneurs want to win like the Kansas City Chiefs, they must be unafraid of pivoting, explained Clark Hunt. “The National Football League is extremely competitive and it’s very difficult to win games consistently — even with a talented roster. But it is impossible to win if everyone is not aligned and working together to…
TechMap Kansas reveals open tech jobs, potential for startups to reshape employment trends
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. LAWRENCE…
Legal tech startup Stenovate earns Fountain Innovation Fund’s second investment
The Fountain Innovation Fund is flowing with Kansas City-based Stenovate selected as the second startup to earn its support, the Enterprise Center in Johnson County announced Wednesday. “Stenovate is an exciting investment for the Fountain Innovation Fund,” explained Maggie Kenefake, managing director of the fund, which chose to back Stenovate based on the emerging startup’s…
$16.4M third fund for Royal Street; KC needs at least one $100M exit each year, leader says
A $16.4 million third fund will see Kansas City-rooted Royal Street Ventures claim even more stake in area startups and establish itself as a leader in locally-sourced venture capital, said Laura Brady. “We have invested in six companies in Kansas City — including two already in Fund III,” Brady, Royal Street’s managing director, noted of the…