Startland is a digital news magazine — capturing the hustle and grind of entrepreneurship, innovation, and the wins fueling Kansas City’s economic growth.
Since 2015, we’ve blended the rigor of a newsroom with the creativity of a magazine, amplifying the momentum of startups, small businesses, creatives, makers, and risk-takers. Our stories give context that de-risks the entrepreneurial ecosystem and documents breakthroughs, lessons learned, and what’s working on the ground — helping readers see opportunities in Kansas City and act on them.
Our mission: We believe visibility changes what’s possible. Through storytelling, we make the unseen visible, the unproven undeniable, and the unknown safer to bet on — de-risking entrepreneurial ecosystems and fueling their growth.
Our Impact
Each year, Startland News serves as a discovery platform for more than 500 founders, makers, and changemakers — delivering visibility, credibility, and millions in earned media value to underrepresented voices and overlooked sectors of our city.
of companies approached by new collaborators or ecosystem partners.
of companies reported increased customer traffic after our reporting.
of founders strengthened their commitment to their venture.
89% of companies reported increased legitimacy in the marketplace.
85% of companies gained media attention from other outlets after Startland coverage.
82% of companies saw broader brand exposure.
81% of companies grew product or service sales.
59% of companies made direct connections with funders.
52% or companies secured new funding within a year of their feature.
44% of companies joined accelerators or pipelines as a result of Startland coverage.
87% of founders believed more in their business’s success.
85% of founders felt more confident in their own ability to succeed.
92% of women-led founders stayed committed through challenges.
84% of ventures featured are still operating today.
Net Promoter Score (NPS): 81 — world-class loyalty. Industry average: 25
Our Ethics & Transparency
We play it straight. Our journalists follow the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics and stay out of politics, fundraising, and other games that might influence them. Funders, sponsors, or board members don’t shape our coverage — and when a story involves them, we’ll tell you upfront.
We accept support from individuals and organizations to keep this work alive, but our reporting is always independent.
- Donor dollars don’t buy headlines.
- Sponsored stories are labeled clearly, and major funders are listed on our site.
- Anonymous gifts are rare, capped, and never allowed to sway coverage.
At the end of the day, we’re here to serve Kansas Citians — not special interests. That means transparency, accountability, and full independence in every story we tell.
Corrections & Accountability
We hustle to get it right the first time — but we’re human, and mistakes happen. If you spot something off, tell us. Drop a note to news@startlandnews.com and we’ll review it right away. Confirmed corrections are updated within 24 hours.
“Startland News has been an amazing resource for me as an entrepreneur. Just getting those newsletters every week and just being able to keep tabs on what’s happening in the business community. And I think Startland does a great job of covering not just tech, not just politics. I know that being featured in Startland has put me in front of people who would traditionally maybe not see my work.
The way they write and the care they put into their stories and their features makes you want to stay engaged as a reader. It makes you want to do that follow-up and learn more about that business or business owner.”
Whitney Manney
Owner, WHITNEYMANNEY
“I appreciate Startland’s solution-oriented reporting, solution-oriented focus. It gives you the optimism, the hope, that helps keep you going. When it seems like there are a lot going on, when there are a lot of negativities, Startland really flips that and provides a greater perspective that fuels me, you, and a lot of entrepreneurs in the area.
You could almost say that Startland was the first domino in a waterfall effect for us and so many things in terms of visibility, investments, hiring, I think, happened because Startland helped us get that first domino to fall. It was crucial for us and we’re very grateful for that.”
Ben Jackson
CEO and Co-Founder, Bungii
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