Corporate Stories

Neal Sharma, DEG exit

DEG execs reflect on $100M+ exit: Join an armada before success puts a target on your back

Riding into battle solo won’t help a company win the war that is business, Neal Sharma told a crowd of ACG Kansas City members gathered to hear details behind the exit of homegrown marketing giant DEG. “One of the things we realized three years ago — about DEG — is it was a completely successful, self…

WIRED women Kansas City

WIRED together: How mentorship led 22 women to a million-dollar investment

Collaboration among like-minded women forms a dangerous advantage, said Sheryl Vickers and Audrey Navarro. The duo helped found WIRED — Women in Real Estate Development — to foster mentorship and investment among women in the male-dominated and individualistic commercial real estate world. “We believe we have a leg up in the industry because that siloed,…

Carlanda McKinney, Raaxo

Founder facing gender bias: Don’t call me a victim; call me investors

It’s like pulling teeth to get key investors and resource organizations to help push female entrepreneurs forward, said Carlanda McKinney, citing implicit bias and a lack of effective support mechanisms. “I don’t think it’s intentional at all. I think it’s a byproduct,” said McKinney, co-founder of Raaxo, an online tech platform used to design and…

Bryan Shannon, TicketRX MSTS

Once a near-throwaway startup idea, TicketRX sells to Overland Park fintech firm MSTS

From bootstrapped to exit, Kansas City citation solutions platform TicketRX on Monday announced its sale to an Overland Park fintech company with global reach. “I’m excited to bring our mobile, AI-driven technology under the MSTS umbrella,” said Bryan Shannon, TicketRX founder and CEO. “MSTS’s long history and leadership experience in the transportation industry will ensure…

EDCKC selects 2019 Cornerstone Awards finalists; May celebration to honor Emanuel Cleaver

Innovators and leaders in new construction, redevelopment, capital investments, job creation and expansion projects in Kansas City, Missouri, are set to be honored in late May at the 2019 Cornerstone Awards. The Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri, (EDCKC) announced 22 finalists for the honors today. “The Cornerstone Awards are a chance to take…