Meghan LeVota
Recent Articles by Meghan LeVota
Startup transforms students into teachers for educators’ diversity training
Conversations about race, power, privilege and oppression are being had across the country every day. And Kiara Butler believes there is no better group to lead these discussions than young people, she said. “Students are already having these conversations every day,” said Butler, co-founder and CEO of Diversity Talks. “It’s the adults that don’t necessarily…
Sprint Accelerator alum trades Miami HQ for KC
TradeLanes’ move from Miami to the Midwest is about proximity. “In Kansas City, we’re closer to customers and closer to everyone on our list of prospective customers,” TradeLanes co-founder Vijay Harrell said. “The closer we are to our customers, the faster we can learn, spot their problems and then solve them.” The global trade firm,…
Events Preview: Measuring social impact, Second Fridays
There are a plethora of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter, or curious community member — we recommend these upcoming events for you. Are you hosting a relevant community event? Add it to the KCSourceLink Calendar for increased exposure. Email info@kcsourcelink.com for assistance. Startup Rewind…
Whiteboard2Boardroom schools startup on valuable connections
Without Whiteboard2Boardroom, many student-led innovations might be forever stalled in the world of academia. Instead, the program is credited with helping to accelerate the commercialization of such projects to the tune of 129 new jobs and $26.2 million in follow-on funding, according to a recent progress report. W2B has worked with 35 startups and engaged…
Techstars Spotlight: Sexy STEM jobs? They’re not for everyone, NexusEdge says
Shanti Akkineni and Eddie Lin are self-proclaimed “serial job hoppers.” It’s a frustrating reality for many, Akkineni said, because of a lack of mentorship accessibility and job awareness. She herself has experienced employment in five different industries within a decade, she said. “I would go to work Monday morning, sit at my desk and not…
Tech startup to assist in donating American Royal BBQ leftovers
If there’s one thing Kansas City celebrates more than entrepreneurship, it’s barbecue. A local startup, Tappecue, plans to use its technology this weekend at the American Royal BBQ competition to assist in donating leftover food to the hungry. Tappecue is a cloud-based “smart” barbecue thermometer, with which BBQ aficionados can monitor meat temperatures via a…
Virgin Mobile CEO: It’s not hard to hire in KC
It’s been just over a year since Virgin Mobile USA selected Kansas City as the location for its new headquarters, relaunching as a subsidiary of the Overland Park-based wireless giant Sprint. Since then, the firm has moved into a swanky, downtown office and hired 65 people. A handful of positions are still available. Although finding…
2017 Under the Radar: OYO Fitness stretches its influence
Editor’s note: Startland News picked 10 early-stage firms to spotlight for its annual Under the Radar startups list. The following is one of 2017’s companies. To view the full list, click here. A Kansas City startup originally established with NASA astronauts in mind continues to expand its orbit. OYO Fitness — which stands for On Your Own…
2017 Under the Radar: Sprout Solutions yields tools, tech for animal feed
Editor’s note: Startland News picked 10 early-stage firms to spotlight for its annual Under the Radar startups list. The following is one of 2017’s companies. To view the full list, click here. For the agricultural industry, employees aren’t tied to a computer or in an office — they’re out in a field, said Gretchen Henry,…
2017 Under the Radar: MusicSpoke scores thousands of sheet music sales
Editor’s note: Startland News picked 10 early-stage firms to spotlight for its annual Under the Radar startups list. The following is one of 2017’s companies. To view the full list, click here. The sheet music publishing industry is worth more than $1 billion. Yet when working with traditional publishers, composers hardly see any of that…