Matthew Gwin
Recent Articles by Matthew Gwin
Behind the blooom deal: How Morgan Stanley at Work boosted its robo-advising tech with startup buy, but kept a human touch
Editor’s note: Morgan Stanley is a financial supporter of Startland News. The investment management and financial services company has branches in Leawood and on the Country Club Plaza. Acquisition is scaling blooom’s tech ‘beyond our wildest dreams’ Integrating a Kansas City startup’s tech into its globe-spanning robo-advising portfolio — along with securing a soft landing…
From abandoned artifact to new Negro Leagues’ space: Why renovated Paseo YMCA now bears the name ‘Buck O’Neil’
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum’s redevelopment of the old Paseo YMCA is nearly complete, according to NLBM President Bob Kendrick, who said the renovated building will help the museum share the history of the Negro Leagues with generations to come. Set to open in late spring or early summer, the Buck O’Neil Education and Research…
Royals say tailgating, plenty of parking planned for year-round downtown ballpark district
As the Kansas City Royals deepen their efforts to bring baseball to downtown, the club aims to call up features fans love most — along with attributes from other ballparks and entertainment districts they don’t yet know they’ve been missing, executives said Tuesday. “We’re committed to creating a truly transformational, world-class ballpark district, one that…
‘Brain power’ across the street: How this innovation park hopes to keep university talent in Kansas after graduation
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 Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures (EGV), a business unit of NetWork Kansas supporting innovative, high-growth entrepreneurs in the State of Kansas. LAWRENCE — A partnership between…
She sends food to the dinner table, instead of the trash can; how one social venture is saving family mealtime with would-be waste
A Kansas City nonprofit’s innovative approach is reducing food waste, fighting food insecurity, and restoring family mealtime. Pete’s Garden, founded in 2019 by Tamara Weber, partners with caterers, restaurants, and food service organizations to save unserved, prepared food that would otherwise be thrown out. Weber and a team of volunteers portion and package that food…
K-State wants to bring 3,000 jobs, $3B to Kansas; here’s how a new urban-rural plan will help it reach all 105 counties
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 Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures (EGV), a business unit of NetWork Kansas supporting innovative, high-growth entrepreneurs in the State of Kansas. TOPEKA — Kansas State University…
Teen coursework: Students take a shot at business with backyard paintball venture
High school students in south Kansas City are mixing recreation with education by applying entrepreneurial concepts from the classroom to start their own paintball venture. Located on the campus of The Daniel Academy, Project:Paintball began as an idea in an entrepreneurship and marketing class during the 2021-22 school year. “We’re the Planet Fitness of paintball,”…
Coworking blueprint for contractors trades home for critical back-office business support
Trades CoWork provides a professional office environment, storage space, and back-office support to contractors and trades workers who have long been “dismissed,” said William Hayes, an entrepreneur who “sold everything” to fuel the venture. “There is nothing out there for the small contractors that gives them an affordable option to move out of their house,…
City’s KC BizCare experiment proves itself as a model to replicate, says new small biz official
Editor’s note: KC BizCare is a financial supporter of Startland News. This story was produced through a paid partnership. Amanda Wheeler’s background in biology provides new insight and expertise within Kansas City’s growing small business culture, the KC BizCare official said — a community give-back hypothesis supported by Wheeler watching women in her family do…
Grief happens on (and off) company time: Why a startup founded from loss is building holistic bereavement plans for corporate America
When grieving employees return to work, managers and colleagues often aren’t equipped to properly support them, said Lisa Cooper. “While I was working in corporate America for quite some time, I had witnessed a lot of dysfunction surrounding grief,” said Cooper, co-founder of Workplace Healing alongside Mindy Corporon. For example, I can remember specifically when someone…