Haines Eason

Recent Articles by Haines Eason

So you think you’re CEO material? UMKC’s ‘CEO Academy’ puts that ambition to the test

Aspiring executives with an eye on the C-suite need to be ready well before the opportunity arises, said Dan Hesse, leaning on his years of past experience as president and CEO of Sprint. It’s not about just being the boss, he emphasized. “Of all the roles, that of the CEO is so different than any…

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What comes after the World Cup? Leaders ponder KC’s next phase (and how to get there)

Editor’s note: The following is the first in a four-part series exploring the verticals and impact of initiatives within the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City through a paid partnership with EDCKC. EDCKC leader: Tapping Kansas City’s full potential requires coordinated eco devo strategy across region Tracey Lewis has lived and worked in some of…

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Why KCMO pushed to lock down ‘Kansas City’ brand ahead of its biggest sports event yet

With World Cup visitors already eyeing plane tickets to Kansas City for matches opening in June 2026, clarity around what constitutes “Kansas City” will be key, said Quinton Lucas, who in late 2024 made moves to restrict labeling the city’s name on certain projects. The effort aims to authentically represent KCMO on the world’s stage,…

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How Silicon Valley, Topeka joined forces for a downtown tech incubator in Top City capital

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.  TOPEKA — A new incubator is expected to help homegrown tech idealists turn their dreams into successful startups, said Stephanie Moran, sharing a vision for the Link Innovation Labs that…

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KC inventor rolls elevated litter box to market (and cats already are making the leap)

Amy Leiker can take criticism and feedback, the Lenexa-based LoftyLoo creator said, noting she couldn’t have survived a career in corporate marketing and health care without it. So when it comes to her elevated litter box invention, she’s quick to jump to its defense, but open to making the product even more user (and cat)…

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Small biz makers worry Trump tariffs could be ‘recipe for recession’; Economists, farmers share concerns about trade war

An enthusiastic smile spreads across Katie Mabry Van Dieren’s face as three small groups of new customers flow into her Brookside Plaza shop — a space filled as high as the Shop Local KC owner can reach with colorful, off-beat, and functional goods and gifts from Kansas City makers. “We smelled something wonderful from outside…

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A formal degree in crypto? KC Futures DAO spearheads globe-spanning blockchain education collaboration

A trend-setting new partnership between Kansas City blockchain visionaries, local digital innovation advocates and global thought leaders at the University of Nicosia of Cyprus could bank tech-forward thinkers a new degree of expertise: think a master’s in crypto. The opportunity comes as the KC Futures DAO, KC Digital Drive (KCDD) and the University of Nicosia…

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Alan Kneeland, The Combine

Startup: Holiday season gift card boom needn’t skip small biz; this discrete digital wallet-ready option keeps giving local

Gift cards are convenient — and the No. 1 most-requested present — Nicole Glass said, but there’s frequently just something impersonal and disconnected about them that makes many people feel bad about slipping one into a card or gift box. “It’s like, ‘I didn’t really know what you wanted. Here’s Starbucks,’” said Glass, president of…

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LaunchKC invested in this founder’s vision; now she’s helping the grants competition boost KC’s startup scene

Editor’s note: LaunchKC — a longstanding initiative from the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City and the Downtown Council — annual funds six to seven companies through its popular fall grants competition. Winning members of the 2025 LaunchKC cohort are set to be announced at a LaunchKC Liftoff event Nov. 19 at J. Rieger &…

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Vintage-inspired Relikcs streams ‘anti-technology’ into the digital age with high-end audio furniture

A line of West Bottoms-built, high-end stereo consoles capitalizes on a gold rush for vinyl nostalgia, said Paul Suquet, noting their vintage-inspired business bridges the gap between a digital era and “the beauty of analog sound.” “Music is something that connects us,” added Dan Posch, one of Suquet’s partners at Relikcs Furniture, a local maker…

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