Meghan LeVota
Recent Articles by Meghan LeVota
FCC commissioner Ajit Pai’s six strategic steps to close the digital divide
In his second visit to Kansas City within the last six months, Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Ajit Pai stopped by Think Big Tuesday as part of his fight to close the digital divide. Growing up in a small Kansas town three hours south of the metro, Pai said he’s familiar with the energy and vitality…
New regulations yield opportunity for animal feed tech startup
Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by LaunchKC but independently produced by Startland News. Growing up, Gretchen Henry’s family farmed cotton in Southeast Missouri. Although most are familiar with the white, pillowy substance we find in our clothes, use to wash our face or clean our ears, animals also eat it. Livestock feed features many…
mySidewalk partners with the White House on its open data initiative
Editor’s note: In response to readers’ desire for quick-hitting stories, Startland News is launching a new segment, “News Flash,” to enable more coverage. Let us know what you think! Kansas City tech firm mySidewalk is working with the White House. The firm on Friday announced its participation in The Opportunity Project, an initiative that…
Is your logo too safe? KU researcher explores the psychology behind your branding
Your logo may not be communicating what you want, which could hurt your business, according to new research. In her recent research on logo design, University of Kansas marketing scholar Noelle Nelson found that the disconnection between what founders hope to convey with a logo and how a person perceives it may discourage a…
Medical device startup Forest Devices finds local fit with stroke detection tech
Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by LaunchKC but independently produced by Startland News. Everyone who goes into medicine is motivated, in part, by their desire to reduce pain and suffering. That desire is what pushed Matt Kesinger to go to medical school. In 2009, Kesinger worked as an emergency medical technician in Boston….
Timely funding opportunities for Kansas City startups
Despite Kansas City’s recognition as a tech hub, its variety of incubator programs and array of successful startup ventures, the metro’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is still trying to fill the money gap. How can the community ensure that entrepreneurs have access the capital they need? Well, as KCSourceLink knows well, appropriate funding resources vary widely depending…
Mobility Designed tackles a demand unaddressed since the Civil War
Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by LaunchKC but independently produced by Startland News. Some technologies are slow to innovate. And crutches — which haven’t changed much since the U.S. Civil War — are a prime example. “They’ve pretty much been the same for decades,” said Liliana Younger, CEO of Mobility Designed. “Although there…
Two area startups still vying for $25K from the Kauffman Foundation
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation on Monday announced the top 15 finalists in the 1 in a Million pitch competition that are vying for a $25,000 grant — and two startups hail from the metro area. Kansas City-based The Grooming Project and Lawrence-based DraftPak both cracked the top 15 in the contest after beating out…
The Lean Lab fellows PledgeCents, Class Tracks win $25K
The Lean Lab’s education incubator program culminated Thursday evening with Launch[ED] Day, a demo day which saw two education startups walk away with $25,000 grants. Established in 2013, The Lean Lab seeks to build Kansas City into a world-leader in education innovation. The incubator’s five summer fellows each pitched their business at the demo day….
Meet Kansas City’s ‘data experts in coffee,’ PerfectCube
Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by LaunchKC but independently produced by Startland News. Kansas City’s flourishing independent coffee roaster market has brewed opportunity for a duo of entrepreneurs. Mark Calhoun and Jim Starcev co-founded the big data platform PerfectCube in 2015. And although the platform is a viable analytics solution for any retailer, the…