Startland News Staff
Recent Articles by Startland News Staff
Pilot competition taps drugless mental health solution for latest tech-infused cohort
A Kansas City-connected startup that helps users see their feelings with its drugless biofeedback/neurofeedback technologies is among 10 companies selected for the latest pilot cohort from NXTUS in Wichita. Finalists for the 2025 NXTSTAGE Community Health & Vibrancy Pilot Competition were announced Wednesday, including Columbia, Missouri-based Healium, which offers tech-driven mental wellness products that quickly…
Entrepreneurs say DoorDash accelerator delivered, prepping their small businesses for tall orders ahead
Ten graduates of DoorDash’s 12-week Midwest accelerator gathered Wednesday to celebrate successes from the program, along with lessons they say will last longer than the $5,000 grants each entrepreneur received. “Running a small business is tough work, and it meant so much to receive support from DoorDash and my home of Kansas City,” said Tanyech…
C2FO named top fintech by CNBC; leaders celebrate win, pushing toward $500B funding milestone
A Kansas City fintech’s award-winning efforts to boost working capital access for businesses across the globe not only has built trust among the world’s top enterprises, said Sandy Kemper; it’s positioned C2FO for even greater impact as it transforms the financing landscape for previously overlooked ventures. The company was honored this month as one of…
He retired after an exit; now this govtech veteran is back in a CFO role for KC-scaled PayIt
As Kansas City-built PayIt scales across North America, a new financial leader is expected to help guide the company in its game-changing efforts to help government agencies modernize, serve their residents, and improve operating efficiency. Steve Kovzan, a nearly 30-year veteran of leadership across government technology and finance spaces, is now chief financial officer at…
Kauffman Foundation launches new executive role to lead its Real World Learning team
Cross-sector collaboration will be key for Misty Chandler as she embarks on a freshly carved out journey within the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s evolving Real World Learning strategy, said Dr. Susan Klusmeier, lauding the longtime advocate for her wealth of experience with workforce readiness and student success at the University of Kansas. “Her deep understanding…
Fund Me, KC: ULAH asks Kansas City to help save Westwood menswear store as pandemic debt looms
Startland News is continuing its long-running “Fund Me, KC” series to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses or lend a helping hand to others. This is an opportunity for business owners and innovators — like menswear retailers and trendsetters Joey Mendez and Buck Wimberly — to share their crowdfunding stories and potentially gain…
These 15 KCMO projects just got a $19M+ boost; funding focused on inclusive community investments
A pair of high-profile projects at 18th and Vine — restoring the Boone Theater and its Kansas City jazz legacy, along with transforming the long-vacant Workhouse Castle into a boutique hotel — offer just a few notes from a chorus of just-funded redevelopment initiatives aimed at buoying small business and tackling challenges in Kansas City’s urban core….
Meet 7 startups just funded to turn potential into Kansas City-built tech innovation
The latest crop of Digital Sandbox KC companies — earning up to $20,000 in project funding for their concepts — are poised to make significant impacts within their industries, said Jill Meyer, noting a through-line from digital health to AI-powered construction and fantasy sports solutions. “These exciting innovations show some great promise, and we’re honored…
‘America the Entrepreneurial’: Can builders restore the promise of ‘the most courageous startup the world has ever seen?’
Risk-takers set the story of the United States of America in motion, said Victor W. Hwang, lamenting a modern day reality where needless barriers too often work against entrepreneurs and young businesses. An upcoming milestone birthday for the nation offers a focal point for restoring a coast-to-coast commitment to supporting builders and dreamers, he said,…
Game on: Kauffman adds 37 nonprofits to its just-funded roster, building impact capacity ahead of World Cup
Efforts to boost economic mobility across Kansas City and beyond needn’t follow a well-worn playbook, Kauffman Foundation officials said, announcing a range of newly funded initiatives — from grassroots entrepreneurial training to World Cup-focused public-private partnerships to capital access expansion. The influential philanthropic organization announced this week it awarded $8.5 million in grants to 37…