Tommy Felts
Editor-In-Chief, Startland News
Tommy is editor-in-chief for Startland News, a Kansas City-based nonprofit newsroom that uses storytelling to elevate the region’s startup community of entrepreneurs, innovators, hustlers, creatives and risk-takers.
Under Tommy’s leadership, Startland News has expanded its coverage from a primarily high-tech, high-growth focus to a more wide-ranging and inclusive look at the faces of entrepreneurism, innovation and business.
Before joining Startland News in 2017, Tommy worked for 12 years as an award-winning newspaper journalist, designer, editor and publisher. He was named one of Editor & Publisher magazine’s top “25 Under 35” in 2014.
Recent Articles by Tommy Felts
JT Daniels’ murals infuse sparks of Kansas City into new downtown collaborative workspace
A sprawling mural inside Spark Kansas City offers the new collaborative workspace and its members more than just a few pops of color, said JT Daniels. “The subjects are all important figures specific to KC’s history, both past and present,” said Daniels, a Kansas City-based illustrator and muralist tasked with helping bring Spark KC’s common…
M25 ranking: KC gains traction against Midwest peers, but startups need more state support
Kansas City remains the “undisputed hub of startup activity in the area,” according to a new ranking by M25 — putting the City of Fountains in an enviable position as tech and startup leaders in high-priced coastal areas look for new homes in the COVID-19 era of remote work. “Zoom may be the bane of…
KC tech community likely staying home, skipping events and travel until 2021, report says
Tech leaders are now accepting that a return to work and live events will take longer — perhaps much longer — than initially expected at the outset of the Coronavirus pandemic, said Ryan Weber. “In April, there was a rosier outlook for the resumed timeframe around in-person business events, office reoccupation and business travel,” said…
Made in KC replicating its Plaza marketplace in Lee’s Summit; opening set for September
A popular retail marketplace concept made in Kansas City is headed east — to the sixth-largest city in Missouri and a customer base eager to support local makers, said Thomas McIntyre. “We want to keep growing our footprint, but only where it makes sense,” said McIntyre, co-founder of Made in KC, detailing the decision to replicate…
Plexpod’s new ‘Focalpod’ private, air-filtered workspaces are like stepping inside a mask, says founder
Editor’s note: Plexpod is a financial sponsor of Startland News. This report was produced independently by Startland News’ nonprofit newsroom. Step inside. Roll the door shut. Just about all you’ll hear is the soft whirring of a HEPA filtration ventilation system that cycles air through Plexpod’s new Focalpod private offices every two minutes, said Gerald…
Made in KC moving Crossroads HQ, flagship retail store to revitalized Martini Corner
A new spin on Made in KC’s local-first, retail-cafe concept — complete with a drive-thru window and shuffleboard bar — will provide a vibrant and dynamic new experience for the Tower East neighborhood in Midtown, said Keith Bradley. “It will be a very unique space, with nothing in the city that can be easily…
More than statues: 3D printer on the Plaza showcases Urban TEC opportunity amid BLM movement
Just a couple blocks west of Mill Creek Park — the center of recent Black Lives Matter protests near the Country Club Plaza — 3DHQ hopes youth tech outreach now can build a more inclusive future for creative problem solvers in Kansas City’s Black and urban communities, said Fabian Conde. “We want to be more intentional…
Thou Mayest closes Crossroads shop: How a gritty, COVID-proof cafe on casters could be coffee’s future
Bo Nelson might’ve already perfected the roasts at Thou Mayest, but he’s still percolating on what the coffee experience of the 21st Century will look, feel and taste like, he said. The roaster retailer closed its Crossroads coffee shop June 30 — just a year after reopening Thou Mayest at a new home in the…
Overland Park startup among half-dozen companies selected for KC’s new insurtech accelerator
A new insurtech accelerator is ready to launch virtually, Brush Creek Partners announced this week, revealing the first cohort for bcp tech. “Despite the challenges of COVID-19, bcp tech attracted an incredible group of applicants, all with unique broker-focused insurtech solutions,” said Travis Holt, CEO and co-founder of bcp tech and Brush Creek Partners, reflecting…
Pure Pitch Rally opens applications, plans for in-person fall event at new Loews hotel
The best way to create more opportunity — and equity — is to push forward, said Karen Fenaroli. Competition applications are open for the first major in-person startup event announced since COVID-19 shut down many Kansas City workplaces and brought traditional networking to a standstill. The invite-only Pure Pitch Rally is set for Oct. 12…