Meghan LeVota
Recent Articles by Meghan LeVota
Growing tech startup Campus Eye wants to make schools safer
College campuses aren’t the safest place to be. Nearly one in four female college students in the U.S. have experienced sexual assault. In the same study, 11 percent of female college students said they’ve experienced rape. And since 2013, there has been more than 76 instances of gun violence on college campuses. Campus Eye founder…
UK firm lured by Kansas City’s charm, opportunity
Born in South Africa and a resident of Great Britain for over a decade, Fred Hefer, CEO of Pomerol Partners, never would have guessed he’d be moving his family to Kansas City. “Really? This place in the middle of America?” Hefer said. “With the tornados and the story about Dorothy?” Hefer said his wife and…
KCRise fund lands $10M to kickoff startup investing
Kansas City-area startups have a new, local fund to boost their investment rounds. The KCRise fund announced Thursday the closing of $10 million that will co-invest with institutional venture capital groups in early-stage companies based in the Kansas City area. Launched in February in conjunction with the KC Rising economic initiative, the fund was created…
Tech leaders: KC is built to be a hub for driverless cars
The Obama administration on Tuesday revealed a set of guidelines for automakers to ensure a safe, efficient rollout of self-driving vehicles in the United States. The rapid development of autonomous vehicle tech, according to the administration, makes it clear that its emergence into American’s everyday life is no longer a question of if — but…
Olathe partnership bears fruit in latest Digital Sandbox cohort
With the buzz of Techweek KC still in the air, Kansas City-based incubator Digital Sandbox reveals the four new startups in their program. Directed by Jeff Shackleford, Digital Sandbox invests up to $25,000 in area companies and provides proof-of-concept resources. Launching in 2013, the incubator has worked with over 300 entrepreneurs and early stage companies…
Coworking studio the GRID marks grand opening in Overland Park
Already popular in downtown Kansas City, coworking options are now expanding further south into the metro area. Jennifer Stearns, community manager at the relatively-new GRID collaborative workspaces in Overland Park, said that coworking has a bright future in not only Kansas City but also in its suburbs. The facility opened their doors in April, but…
WillCo Technologies hiring 90 people after snagging energy-saving patent
The average american household wastes up to 61 percent of its energy input. Kevin Williams, CEO of WillCo Technologies, said that this is because of the way electrical grids are designed. Although the average consumer requires significantly less power during school and work hours, the grid keeps energy limits consistently high in order to sustain through…
Look into serial entrepreneur Jeff Hoffman’s toolkit of inspiration
“What if you applied the skills of entrepreneurship to everything that you do?” serial entrepreneur Jeff Hoffman asked a crowd at Union Station on Thursday. As Hoffman took the stage as Techweek Kansas City’s keynote speaker, he did just that. Applying the skill of “adaptability,” he decided to nix his slide deck and improvise. A…
HEMP welcomes 20 area entrepreneurs for mentorship
The Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program has selected 20 new entrepreneurs from the Kansas City area to take part in its 2016 program. Inspired by Barnett Helzberg Jr.’s mentoring relationship with Kansas City business legend Ewing Kauffman, HEMP matches seasoned area entrepreneurs with promising mentees. The three-year mentoring program aims to offer its participants new opportunities,…
1 Million Cups offers new mobile app
One Kansas City’s most popular entrepreneurial events is offering its thousands of fans an app to increase engagement. The 1 Million Cups community in Kansas City and around the world has long asked for an app, and now it’s becoming a reality, said Jordan Marsillo, 1 Million Cups program coordinator. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation…