Elyssa Bezner
Reporter
Recent Articles by Elyssa Bezner
GEW KC planning scaled-back, 3-day virtual summit; content likely geared toward starting a business in a recession
Powered by KCSourceLink community surveys, the 2020 Global Entrepreneurship Week is forging ahead with plans for virtual content catered to specific, mid-pandemic, said Jenny Miller. “We’re still in the process of working with our committee to get all of that figured out and see what exactly GEW is going to consist of this year, but…
My Bear Jeff unboxes mission to soothe childhood trauma, begins delivering teddy bear relief
Inspired to deliver peace to trauma-affected children, My Bear Jeff officially launched its teddy bear relief effort in late July after a successful kickstarter campaign, said Rachel Cohen. “The support we’ve had is so insane and absolutely wild — like this community and my friends and family saw this vision and were like, ‘Yes, let’s…
Student who helped pioneer Minddrive paves way for Honeywell’s first Latinx engineering scholarship
Perseverance and transparency fueled Minddrive alum Carlos Alonzo’s award as the first recipient of Honeywell’s new four-year $20,000 Latinx engineering scholarship with guaranteed job placement upon graduation, said Oz Qureshi. Alonzo first applied for Honeywell’s engineering scholarship that has historically been allocated to African-American students and in partnership with the Black Achievers Society, said Qureshi,…
Grab me a stick of butter too? How a KC-built group shopping app could eliminate needless grocery runs
The COVID-19 pandemic clearly isn’t going anywhere until the arguing stops, said Jason Wadsworth. “Mask-wearing has become political and that’s just so disheartening,” said Wadsworth, vice president of engineering at MobileUp Software. “These times are unprecedented and I really hope that as a community, we can stop arguing and just come together to work it…
A doodle a day: Entrepreneur maps lucrative ambitions beyond ‘popping’ new OP mural
A recently completed mural within the Edison District’s walkable community paints downtown Overland Park as the new hub for Kansas City, said Evan Brown. The commissioned piece aims to grab attention, as well as signal the client’s vision of an up-and-coming space for a new generation of residents and workers who are driving the metro…
Wesley Hamilton withdraws from partners he says didn’t value BLM, planning standalone gym for adaptive athletes
Withdrawing from professional partnerships that don’t align with his values — specifically the Black Lives Matter movement — will be a struggle, Wesley Hamilton admitted, but adaptive athletes already know the heavy lift of overcoming challenges in life. “I need to make sure that I am not only bringing value to my community, but that…
Farm to flask: Spirit made from dairy byproduct aims to craft its own herd the right whey
Wheyward Spirit is about mixing more than a tasty tonic, said Emily Darchuk, creator of a whey-based alcohol that uses the liquid byproduct of making dairy products for a sustainable sip. “We’re doing things differently for the right reasons in creating a flavorful spirit that’s good enough to sip straight, but it’s also taking a…
Treat yourself: Iconic pink cone fits entrepreneur’s hunger for nostalgia, growth
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. Just…
Pandemic pauses genre-bending band’s tour, but amplifies message of music as a business, form of activism
In a world where empathy can be in short supply, the brothers behind Kansas City Latinx rock band Making Movies see music and songwriting as a way young people growing up in a divided country can level the playing field. The key is exposing them to mentors who can illustrate what’s possible, said Enrique Chi,…
Donations drop as KC reopens — but need for help outlasts COVID’s peak, says Merry Outlaw
Merry Outlaw’s quick pivot to a COVID-19 Mutual Aid app raised $11,000 in a little over a month — but donations slowed as people turned their eyes back to “normal life,” said Lindsay Smith. “Our first month we hit $10,000 — and you don’t want to get discouraged about this — but in the beginning,…