Leah Wankum
Recent Articles by Leah Wankum
Kauffman survey: Women more critical of their own early-stage entrepreneurial efforts
Women entrepreneurs are more likely than their male counterparts to grade their performances harshly during the first year of business, though that tendency typically fades over time, according to a new survey by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. It often is about approaching the venture a realistic viewpoint, said Jeff Shackelford, executive director of Digital…
TechAccel, UC Davis lab developing wheat seed to combat climate change
A Kansas City-based tech and venture development firm hopes to engineer wheat seeds that produce higher yield by withstanding warmer temperatures. “We’re taking a concept that is pretty important for wheat worldwide,” said Brad Fabbri, Chief Science Officer of TechAccel. Increasing temperatures make growing wheat more difficult across the globe, studies show. Reports indicate climate…
Startup stakeholders: Opportunity zones could prompt culture shift on redevelopment
Startup community stakeholders think opportunity zones in some of Kansas City’s poorest areas could work, but only with collaboration between the government and private sector. A number of low-income communities in Kansas City are eligible for designation as opportunity zones — areas in which investors may defer paying capital gains taxes over a certain period…
KC Rising red flag: Educated talent leaving KC, metro tech jobs unfilled
More college-educated workers are leaving Kansas City than being drawn to the region, according to a new KC Rising report. That means local companies are forced to look outward for qualified talent, said Ryan Weber. “Most of those tech firms are hiring; it’s just for skill sets that few people have,” said Weber, president of…
Students struck by KC gun violence search for solutions at MECA Challenge
Editor’s note: MECA Challenge and Startland News are both programs of the Kansas City Startup Foundation, though the content below was produced independently by Startland. For more information on the relationship, click here. Escaping the cycle of gun violence can seem impossible, said Lea Thompson, still wearing a cast on her hand after being shot…
KC-based SouveNEAR vending machine startup prepping to scale up
SouveNEAR offers travelers a piece of KC — from KC, said co-founder Tiffany King. The Kansas City-based startup, which repurposes vending machines to sell locally made souvenirs, is in its fourth year of steady, organic growth, King said. As a member of ScaleUP! KC new class, SouveNEAR is preparing to grow the business and turn…
Google, Techstars partner to lower barriers for March 23-25 Startup Weekend
A new partnership with Google will allow Techstars to present this month’s Startup Weekend free of charge to Kansas City participants, said John Coler. “It opens up the opportunity to reduce the barrier for entry for those who either would not usually use their discretionary income or (do not) have the ability to pay for…
1 Million Cups wraps month-long black entrepreneur showcase
Celebrating differences strengthens everyone, a white 1 Million Cups volunteer told a room full of black entrepreneurs and business owners Wednesday evening. “Diversity and inclusion are important to us year-round here at 1 Million Cups,” said Kyle Smith, communications coordinator at KCSourceLink and a 1MC Kansas City community organizer. “And I am very well aware…
Techstars KC alum Grit Virtual posts $840K oversubscribed seed round
Reality is starting to sink in for Grit Virtual, said co-founder Chris Callen. “It’s exciting to finally be able to talk about our funding rounds and the successes we have had,” Callen said. “It’s been an exciting ride so far, and we’re kind of gearing up to make it a real company, not just an R&D…
State of Entrepreneurship Address: Redefine ‘entrepreneur’ through inclusion
Entrepreneurship rates are half of what they were a generation ago, and although the U.S. population is increasingly diverse, educated and older, the nation’s entrepreneurial population isn’t changing at the same pace, Wendy Guillies said. Founders face too many barriers, said Guillies, president and chief executive officer of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Wednesday morning…