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
IXKC: Racial bias conversation puts white faces in an awkward spot — the minority
Editor’s note: Check out photos from this event below the story. White people have to understand that they’ll never understand, said Lora McDonald. “White people only have to be ‘white’ when they’re in a room with other races. When they aren’t, they get to be individuals, not just a monolithic group,” she told a diverse…
Dimensional Innovations scores with massive Target Center design overhaul
Amid the hustle of a Minnesota Timberwolves game, fans peer through a glass floor at passersby in a lobby below. Looking up, a giant, neon-colored basketball sculpture looms overhead. It’s a moment created for curiosity and connection — designed by Overland Park’s Dimensional Innovations. Extending through multiple floors of the four-story Target Center in Minneapolis,…
More jobs than job seekers? SnapIT-led tech partnership trains next wave of workers
Corporations and tech startups alike are desperate to get their hands on programmers who know Java, said Neelima Parasker. “Big organizations have it embedded in their systems, and they’re dying to get some Java resources,” the SnapIT Solutions CEO said. “And don’t get me wrong: So am I.” A new partnership between SnapIT, the Full…
More than coworking: Plexpod lauded as economic driver at EDCKC Cornerstone Awards
A Cornerstone Award win for Plexpod is a recognition of the evolving nature of community and connections, said Gerald Smith. “When we set out to do the Plexpod Westport Commons project, from the beginning it was much more than just another coworking facility,” said Plexpod co-founder Smith. “We believed Kansas City needed a central hub…
KC Tech Specs report: Net gain of 11,000 workers for KC, but 3,000 jobs remain unfilled
Kansas City’s brain gain grew at three times the rate of Chicago in 2017, according to a new report from the KC Tech Council. Isolated to tech jobs, the city’s pool of workers swelled by 11,000, the KC Tech Specs 2018 report said, though a shortage of skilled professionals remains. “The Kansas City tech industry…
First look: Creative Studios concept expands Made in KC’s view of brands as partners
Warm sunlight bathes a future ceramics shop. A vintage Thomas Cusack Co. mural advertisement peeks from behind the plaster wall of an in-the-works photography space. Views from the second and third floors reveal a city skyline in creative transition. Amid the freshly hung drywall and still-curing, stained hardwood staircases, Tyler Enders steps quickly between rooms…
Fitbit integrating Sickweather illness forecasting into new wearables
Sickweather is stepping into the wearables market. A new partnership with industry leader Fitbit is expected to see the Kansas City-based startup’s illness forecasting technology integrated into Fitbit’s new products. “Smartwatches provide a powerful platform to deliver important health tools that help our users manage conditions more conveniently than ever before,” said James Park, co-founder…
H3 win at Regnier challenge puts Roy Scott $20K closer to his slice of $3B edtech market
The oversized novelty checks are piling up at H3 Enterprises’ headquarters in the Crossroads. Founder Roy Scott secured another $20,000 in prize money Friday, winning top honors in the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge. “We are continuing to grow and preparing to launch our new technology in schools across the country,” he said in social media…
Wonder Shops and Flats set to bring Blip Roasters, Bike Walk KC, medical group to Troost
Wonder what’s in the works at 30th and Troost? This weekend’s Wanderfest provides the opportunity for a sneak peek at a long-awaited development in one of Kansas City’s in-progress revitalization corridors. The Wonder Shops and Flats serves as a key stop during Sunday’s festivities, which showcase maker and creative work in the Tower East neighborhood….
Kansas City Coworking Alliance named world’s best at international Coworky’s
Scoring the title of the world’s best coworking alliance is a big win for Kansas City, Melissa Saubers said. “This is just another way that we can put Kansas City on the map to show that we are the most entrepreneurial city in America,” said Saubers, president of the Kansas City Coworking Alliance. “It’s verification…