Channa Steinmetz

Recent Articles by Channa Steinmetz

Founder: Build your startup on relationships — not tech — to survive seismic industry shifts

Nurturing healthy relationships with clients and partners is the most sustainable way to build a business, said Dan Prince, reflecting on his time growing a custom software development company in Kansas City. “You grow a business by your reputation, by doing the best work for people that you can possibly do. I was told a…

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Is Wichita the next tech hotspot? Startup week organizer says pieces are falling into place  

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. After…

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After exit: How Rx Savings Solutions’ $875M sale could mean opportunity for KC (even if details aren’t yet clear)

The years after a headline-grabbing acquisition can mean a “jump ball” for the ecosystem where the startup was grown, said Jeff Hornsby, acknowledging the various outcomes ahead when a hometown company gets new owners. Possibilities range from massive community reinvestment to staffing reductions and all-out relocation, though such moves aren’t mutually exclusive. “They may say…

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Best in the US: ‘Market days are work days,’ but all are welcome at OP’s award-winning farmers’ market

More than 7,000 farmers’ markets across the United States competed for the title of “America’s Favorite Market” — but voters ultimately picked Overland Park’s community of vendors and entrepreneurs as the cream of the crop. “The Overland Park Farmers’ Market is the heart of this vibrant and diverse neighborhood where all are welcome,” said Kristina…

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How this KC trucking platform is helping drivers achieve the ‘American Dream’ amid high industry demands, burnout 

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of truck drivers in the American economy, said Jeff Dema; and Foxpoint is targeting its efforts to ensure that drivers succeed and stay in the demanding industry.  “Being a truck driver is a hard job. They’re gone 250 plus nights a year from their home. It requires lots of…

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KC’s first Hispanic beer company craft-brews conversations beyond stereotypes

Defining his own cultural identity has been a lifelong struggle for Damon Arredondo, the longtime brewer said. Coming from a mixed-cultural background, Arredondo often felt as if there was “a checklist” that decided whether or not he was able to identify with his heritage, he shared.  “Only recently in the last five year have I…

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KC BizCare awarded $300K by Kauffman for small business census, new ESO accelerator

Entrepreneurial support organizations experience many of the same challenges faced by Kansas City’s small business community, stifling their effectiveness, Nia Richardson noted.  “This includes staffing and resource constraints, lack of business education and practical experience, and fragmented systems of support. Without addressing these structural and systemic constraints, enabling equitable and inclusive small business growth will…

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Sicilian legacy meats its match: Why this rising star on KC’s food scene was DiCapo’s pick to take over family pizzeria after nearly 100-year run

As a teenager working in downtown Kansas City in the 1990s, Theresa Santos found herself spending her breaks and spare time at the Italian Gardens restaurant on 12th and Baltimore, she recalled. Growing up in New York City and infatuated with Italian culture and food, Santos quickly became friends with the staff — then the…

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Column raises $30M with a mission to make public information systems more valuable

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. MANHATTAN,…

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Willy Schlacks, Scale, EquipmentShare

‘The opposite of growth is death’: Why the founder of EquipmentShare is driven by process, not an end goal 

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. COLUMBIA,…

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