Channa Steinmetz
Recent Articles by Channa Steinmetz
2021 Startups to Watch: PMI Rate Pro ensures efficiency for mortgage loan officers as market expands
Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2021’s companies. Click here to view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch — presented by sponsors Husch Blackwell and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Three years into working as a mortgage loan officer,…
People aren’t disposable batteries: Josh Levin expands Empowered brand to show entrepreneurs they’re worthy of success
Josh Levin wasn’t born a success but a statistic, the Empowered Electric founder said, describing a childhood of severe poverty and a rough past. That history of hardship led him to a revelation — and a mantra. “All of our employees and customers know that the concept behind Empowered Electric is ‘People Over Profit,’” Levin…
‘Business is pointless unless you’re helping others’: Makerspace connects community through woodworking
Building and creating with one’s own hands is an experience unlike any other, said Deborah Giudicessi. “There’s that sense of accomplishment and pride that comes with building something,” said Giudicessi, founder of The DIY Woodshop in Olathe. “And learning how to create, it triggers this thought process that teaches you how to analyze and how…
TrackMy Vaccines allows patients to record COVID-19 vaccine reactions; use real-time data to ID trends
With millions of Americans set to be inoculated with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine this year, Kansas City startup TrackMy Solutions transformed its technology into a web app with which patients can track their vaccine reactions, Jeremy Elias said. “There’s a system known as VAERS, or Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, that exists today for any…
How challenging norms could be Black founders’ key to overcoming lingering funding gap
When authenticity and startup culture collide, Black founders and entrepreneurs of color often don’t see the same opportunities as their white counterparts, said Daniel Smith, contributing to a gap in funding that splits along racial lines. “I talk a certain way; I have different mannerisms; I like to dress a certain kind of way —…
UpDown Nightlife set to relaunch app; secures lead investor for $500K seed round
When COVID-19 turned out the lights on nightlife in 2020, Joshua Lewis didn’t go into panic mode, he said. The persistent founder used the time to flesh out his app’s tech platform — and in the process found a key funder for UpDown Nightlife. “This is our first real round of funding where we’re able to…
Rethinking healthcare: How a doctor and activist brought more than 5,000 COVID-19 tests to KC’s most vulnerable
A primary care physician with an innovative take on healthcare and a passionate activist with an extensive background in video production might seem like an unlikely duo, said Dr. Allison Edwards. But she and serial creative Jay Austin united their strengths during the pandemic to help underserved communities in Kansas City gain access to critical…
No code needed: OP software startup’s app-building platform targets businesses big and small
Building an app from scratch is a costly and time-consuming project, said Shawn Black, the co-founder of Abbacore — an Overland Park computer software company that specializes in helping consumers collect and share data through its own app, Ai Connect. “Customers that need a specific solution — instead of spending months on the development table…
Mixtape Monkey brings old school file sharing into 2021 with Tape Eater music app
Editor’s note: This article is underwritten by Plexpod — a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes — but was independently produced by Startland News. Reviving the nostalgia of the early 2000s music industry, Mark Serrano designed an app where users can file share “mixtapes” straight from their…
Patrice Aguilera carves niche on Facebook Live, teaching fellow entrepreneurs to break their own barriers
Editor’s note: This article is underwritten by Plexpod — a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes — but was independently produced by Startland News. Hand-me-downs were both a blessing and a curse for Patrice Aguilera, she said. Growing up as the youngest and tallest of six sisters,…