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Startland News Staff

Sometimes we share credit. The “Staff Writer” byline appears on stories reported, written, or edited collaboratively by members of the Startland News team — especially for quick hits and breaking news.

Recent Articles by Startland News Staff

Film to promote Walt Disney’s historic Kansas City animation studio gets $10K boost

Efforts to restore the original Laugh-O-gram Studio building along Troost Avenue are getting a bump from a Missouri Humanities grant and a matching donation from a longtime local supporter of the arts in Kansas City. Thank You Walt Disney — a not-for-profit dedicated to the preservation and restoration of Walt Disney’s first animation studio, the…

Feds award $500K for Goodwill, LaunchCode jobs training effort through STEM Tech Challenge

Nearly a half-million dollars in federal funds are expected to help two local programs forge a new STEM-based job training initiative to help Kansas City-region job seekers find permanent high-wage careers in tech. U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, on Wednesday announced a $499,196 award from the U.S. Department of Commerce to Goodwill MoKan (Goodwill of…

Blake Miller, Homebase

Premiere Kansas City startup acquired by Texas-based IoT leader in proptech industry

The acquisition of Crossroads-built Homebase by Lone Star State smart home innovator Quext brings together two of the most disruptive companies in the space, said Blake Miller, founder of the premiere Kansas City startup. The move — creating a single source for multifamily operators to get the best-in-class smart community and managed WiFi solutions their…

Foresight announces $100K investment for its AI-fueled fintech fraud solution for banks

Fresh off completing the Tulsa Techstars Accelerator and NXSTAGE fintech competition in Wichita, a busy Kansas City startup just announced a $100,000 investment from Northwestern Mutual. Foresight — an artificial intelligence platform from serial entrepreneur and investor Jannae Gammage — earned a spot in Northwestern Mutual’s Black Founder Accelerator program alongside four other Black-owned tech…

Innovation center, investor hub set to open this month on Liberty campus, thanks to family’s gift 

LIBERTY, Missouri — A significant financial gift to William Jewell College from a family of alumni is expected to fund a new innovation center opening on campus this month. The space is expected to serve as an investor hub and flexible workspace for Kansas City entrepreneurs. The Mathes Innovation Center — made possible by the…

Sched now: Check out GEWKC’s just-launched, weeklong event lineup with 100+ sessions

Organizers of Kansas City’s largest multi-day event series for entrepreneurs have opened registration for the Nov. 13-19 sessions, with a three-day, in-person base camp planned for Plexpod Westport at Park 39. “Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City is the best way for the KC metro’s doers, dreamers and makers to gain new skills, make key connections and…

Pure Pitch Rally reveals 2023 competitors: Meet 8 founders redefining the future of tech

One of KC’s most-anticipated startup events is set to tease a room full of sharks with the innovations of tomorrow — being built in Kansas City today, said Karen Fenaroli, announcing the eight competitors set for the Oct. 23 Pure Pitch Rally stage. The one-of-a-kind event helps startups grow by offering nondilutive spot-cash funding to…

Five startups are getting a tech boost with the latest round of Digital Sandbox KC funding

The caliber of founders leading the latest startups funded by Digital Sandbox KC is truly exceptional, said Jill Meyer, describing a third-quarter cohort that includes a Pipeline Pathfinder member, a KC Chamber Small Business of the Year finalist, and the former CEO of the KC Tech Council. “Their industry experience and dedication are the cornerstones…

Godfrey Riddle wants to build you a home; How Civic Saint’s eco-friendly bricks could reshape the foundation of affordable housing

Winning $55,000 in a recent national LGBT pitch competition provides Godfrey Riddle the building blocks for a hard pivot — shifting the focus of his lifestyle company Civic Saint from handmade retail goods to earthen bricks used to sustainably create artful, affordable homes. “Affordable housing is a problem I’ve been pondering since my family lost…

KC-area startup earns spot in first-ever AWS accelerator for emerging GovTech companies

A Lee’s Summit-based startup focused on developing tech for the criminal justice industry has been selected for Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) inaugural GovTech Accelerator cohort. eHawk — led by co-founders Bart Cooper and Ted Green, a former bail bondsman and trial attorney — is one of 13 companies tapped for the program. The Kansas City-built…