Minority-Led Stories

Business advocate vows ‘We will never be afraid again’ after shooting at LGBTQ+ nightclub

Kansas City’s LGBTQ+ business community remains defiant in the face of bigotry and vigilant in its commitment to protect its members in the wake of a deadly mass shooting this weekend in Colorado, said Suzanne Wheeler. “Our ever-resilient community will continue to uproot hatred and bigotry with deeds of love and visibility,” said Wheeler, executive…

Shop Small: 5 gifts for people who are always cold (KC Gift Guide)

Editor’s note: This feature is the first in Startland News’ five-part holiday gift guide showcasing Kansas City makers and their products. Check out the featured maker below, then keep reading for five gift ideas to get started. A decade later, Pancho’s Blanket co-owner Jonathan Garvey is still wearing a hooded sweater his mom bought him…

Come on (down) Now! AltCap Your Biz awards $37K in prizes with a familiar face earning biggest win of the night

The founder’s story can be the most important part of a startup’s pitch, Dr. Shelley Cooper shared after clinching the $25,000 grand prize at Thursday’s AltCap Your Biz: Pitch Competition. “Everybody else had a lot more financials in their pitch, and I took all that stuff out. I focused on telling my story the way…

Panel: Teachers can’t just ‘fail fast’ with students, but plugging entrepreneurship into classrooms builds agility in both

As someone with a hand in both education and entrepreneurship, Tiffany Dixon recognizes that a gap between the two is limiting potential in Kansas City schools. “There is an ecosystem that teachers don’t realize exists around their classroom,” she explained during a “Youth: Our Future Entrepreneurs” panel discussion for Global Entrepreneurship Week – Kansas City….

Winners revealed: LaunchKC awards $300K in rebooted grants competition

LaunchKC’s cornerstone grants celebration returned Tuesday after a four-year hiatus, awarding six Kansas City startups — from gaming and edtech to IoT and healthcare — with $50,000 each in non-dilutive grants. “A win for these companies is a win for Kansas City,” said Becca Castro, strategic initiatives manager for the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas…