Elyssa Bezner
Reporter
Recent Articles by Elyssa Bezner
Pipeline’s Jan. 23 showcase bridges larger-than-life gala, community-building personality
First impressions: Kansas City’s organic “all in this together” approach boosts the vibrancy of its startup community and thriving cultural scene, said Melissa Vincent. And one of Pipeline’s premier events should reflect that personality, she added. “I think that to be able to step in to Kansas City in this role with Pipeline where there…
DivvyHQ proves ‘unmatched in market’ with top award now spanning four consecutive wins
Voted the No. 1 content marketing tool for the fourth straight year, DivvyHQ plans to capitalize on its momentum to deliver new features and functionality in 2020, said co-founders Brock Stechman and Brody Dorland. “When we won [the honor] the first year, obviously it was a huge surprise. We were so pumped. But then we…
Photos: Culture pops as Kritiq puts KC’s fashion family on the runway
The evolution of the Kritiq fashion show — from a one-night event to a full weekend showcasing up-and-coming artists and fashion designers in streetwear and high fashion — was an intentional effort to reflect Kansas City’s booming creative landscape, said Mark Launiu. “The culture [of Kansas City] is changing and we have to be a…
Tiki Bar T-Shirt Club revives now-closed beachy haunts, celebrates era of the side hustle
Tiki Bar culture is a quirky niche for a Kansas City-based side hustle, admitted Bryan Azorsky, but rapidly evolving online tools that eliminate middlemen help make such passions profitable and scalable. “I think the future is really people having more than one job in a way. They may have their main job and then they…
KC boutique big data startup Yotabites planned its big exit for 2025 — a buyer came five years early
Starting with a laser-focus on attacking big data’s fundamental problems, Lenexa-based Yotabites is announcing its acquisition from Oregon-based ProKarma, said Rajesh Nair, noting the sale fell many years ahead of schedule for the forward-thinking startup. “It really started out as a combination of things for us: from [seeing a lack of] creativity in the big…
War-torn Myanmar to North KC: Documentary gives taste of immigrant entrepreneur’s refugee journey
Kansas City’s culture is increasingly shifting to include and highlight immigrant entrepreneurship, said Danielle Lehman, though the true impact is still largely unappreciated. “I think there’s a disconnect between people who are enjoying the food [from immigrant-owned restaurants] and you’ll see a picture on instagram, but they never get to know the people that make…
Doodle Dood paints between lines of business and art with Iron District mural, apparel
Evan Brown refuses to draw out his accomplishments — or even the failures behind them — as he paints the career of a budding illustrator and muralist, he said. “I don’t really dwell. … That might be the reason I’ve been getting more and more projects within the past year,” said Brown, KC-based maker and…
Climbing mountains in the Midwest? Exiting Pipeline leader eyes next big challenge
A desire to move mountains is driving Joni Cobb to move on from Pipeline — her family of 13 years. “I’ve been thinking about it for many years … not because I don’t love what I do. I love what I do [with Pipeline],” said Cobb, president and CEO of the Midwest-based accelerator and entrepreneur…
With an athletic look and fit, North KC’s TiScrubs aims to be the ‘Nike of scrubs’
The endurance and durability of TiScrubs help give medical professionals servicing children the air of an athlete stepping onto the field, said Natalie Busch. Founder of the North Kansas City startup, Busch saw the need for updated medical wear when working Team Smile, a nonprofit run by her husband, Bill, which partners with sports teams…
Clara Biotech boasts first-of-its-kind cancer detection from lab in Lawrence
A Kansas startup says its cancer detection process — requiring only a single blood sample — could dramatically simplify a often-harrowing health care experience, as well as lead to personalized treatments for illnesses ranging from cancer to neurological diseases like Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis. Clara Biotech — based in Lawrence at the BioScience and Technology…