Minority-Led Stories
Company boosted by Topeka becomes capital city’s latest Plug and Play corporate partner
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. TOPEKA — Plug and Play Topeka announced this week the addition of Bimini Pet Health as a new corporate partner of the Topeka-based animal health accelerator — a move expected…
Kin crafts flavor into hard seltzer market, targeting overlooked Black consumers looking for authentic social experiences
The founding trio of a new hard seltzer crafted in Kansas City hopes the drink will add much-needed inclusivity to the craft seltzer space. Kin Seltzer is a collaboration between Joshua Lewis and Kearra Johnson of UpDown Nightlife, and Eric Martens of Border Brewing Company. Currently, leading seltzer brands target their marketing predominantly to white…
KC mom’s goal for her daughters’ brewing coffee business: Making history, served Blakk
Germaneke Drone is steeping her daughters’ entrepreneurial vision with her own lived experience to turn the kids’ idea into the Kansas City-based, dairy-free mobile coffee cafe of their dreams, the Blakk Brew founder said. Growing up with a Vietnamese grandmother, Kai, 8, and Keanu, 6, were introduced to coffee and tea culture at an early…
Top 10 unfurled after banner year: KC Chamber narrows contenders for ‘Small Business of the Year’
A half-dozen fresh-faced ventures — plus a few high-profile returning businesses — round out the Top 10 finalists for the KC Chamber’s 2023 Small Business of the Year award, announced publicly Friday during a social media rollout. “Small businesses drive KC’s economy, and we couldn’t be more excited for this year’s Top 10, and the…
Pitching in: Meet the founders tapped for Launch KC’s second Social Venture Studio
Seven social ventures from Kansas City and beyond are joining the second cohort of LaunchKC’s newest entrepreneur-focused initiative — a program that specifically supports founders working to solve social, racial or environmental problems. The startups selected for the Social Venture Studio, powered by LaunchKC, were revealed Wednesday afternoon at the Keystone Community Corporation’s event space…
