Startland News Staff

Recent Articles by Startland News Staff

Opportunity Hub

OHUB set to lose $1M+ in SXSW sunk costs, pivots to virtual experience; KC event plans in the air amid Coronavirus concerns

Opportunity Hub is moving forward with a two-day virtual “Black and Hired” experience from its Atlanta headquarters after Coronavirus concerns prompted the cancelation of SXSW — where OHUB planned to spotlight members of its Kansas City cohort. Canceling the SXSW festival — which was expected to draw more than 400,000 to Austin over two weeks —…

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One of KC’s first coworking leaders passes ownership to longtime Cowork Waldo members

The new owners of Cowork Waldo have already seen the impact of community through one of Kansas City’s first neighborhood coworking spaces, said Melissa Saubers. “Powerhouse entrepreneurial duo” Zubin Talib and Talyn Good — who Saubers called “trusted, long-standing” Cowork Waldo members — are set to take over operations of the shared workspace April 1, she…

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Jody Brazil, Rich Mogull, and Mike Rothman, DisruptOps

DisruptOps raises $9M Series A with serial entrepreneur, cyber security veterans taming the cloud

With security threats to cloud-enabled businesses outpacing the ability of most companies to respond, a fresh funding infusion is expected to help DisruptOps strengthen its team and its ability to react, said Jody Brazil. The Kansas City startup — a SaaS-based cloud security management platform that helps enterprises address the critical challenges of cloud security at…

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Fishtech, BacklotCars, Bardavon named to Forbes’ 2020 best startup employers list

A trio of fast-growing Kansas City companies are among the 500 best startup employers in the nation, according to a new ranking from Forbes. Fishtech Group — one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2020 — lead the local honorees at No. 277 on Forbes’ list. BacklotCars was ranked at No. 339,…

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Image courtesy of Knoq

Scaling tech startup with door-to-door ‘Knoqers’ plans no-contact option amid Coronavirus

A tech startup with offices in Kansas City and Boston plans to hire 200-plus “Knoqers” in 2020, but the company admits its growing army of door-to-door neighborhood representatives face an unexpected challenge this spring and summer: the spread of the Coronavirus. “Like everyone across the world, we have been closely following news about the Coronavirus…

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Photo courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control

Fearing coronavirus? Don’t count out flu season — especially in these 10 ‘sickest’ cities

Expecting a respite from flu-like symptoms and respiratory illness as warm weather approaches? Don’t let your guard down just yet, Kansas City-based Sickweather said Thursday, issuing a “troubling” forecast for cities across the U.S. “Sickweather’s prediction for a prolonged season of flu-like illness is historic because it represents a stark contrast to the notion that…

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Thalia Cherry, Cherry

KC ‘community crusader’ Thalia Cherry joins Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes on EBONY Power 100 list

Editor’s note: Thalia Cherry is a board member of STARTLAND, the ecosystem building organization that operates Startland News. This story was produced independently by Startland News’ nonprofit newsroom. A Kansas City entrepreneur widely known for sports apparel lines honoring the history of the Chiefs and Monarchs is earning acclaim in her own right. Thalia Cherry…

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Chase McAnulty, Charlie Hustle; TeamKC

Charlie Hustle named TeamKC MVP for KC Heart icon, unveils trio of summer charity events

Charlie Hustle’s KC Heart icon gained regional notoriety after a high-profile association with the World Series-winning Kansas City Royals, but now the brand is helping put Kansas City on the global stage with its simple, but historically-rooted design, said TeamKC. The vintage-inspired clothing company earned the TeamKC MVP award Friday for its work to collaborate,…

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What’s startup support worth? Orgs threatened by budget cuts rally behind ROI numbers

Editor’s note: Startland News is a program of STARTLAND, an ecosystem-building organization that is among the participants in an informal coalition of entrepreneur support groups hoping to increase funding for startup support in the 2020-2021 Kansas City, Missouri, budget. This story was produced independently by Startland News’ nonprofit newsroom. The impact is in the numbers,…

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Keystone Innovation Center, image courtesy of BNIM

Mayor’s budget nixes $300K for Keystone innovation development at 18th and Troost

A proposed city budget for 2020-2021 signals a further shift in perspective for the Kansas City mayor’s office, removing significant funding for the planned Keystone innovation district project at 18th Street and Troost Avenue. KCMO would decrease the amount slated for the Keystone Development District by $300,000, if the submitted budget is approved, according to…

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