Minority-Led Stories
Return on investment: Why the co-founder of tech giant Dropbox just donated $500K to Blue Valley schools
Blue Valley schools, teachers, and students are expected to benefit greatly from a newly announced fund launched by the homegrown Johnson County tech entrepreneur who later co-founded the cloud storage giant Dropbox. Arash Ferdowsi, a 2004 graduate of Blue Valley Northwest High School, has put up $500,000 to launch the Arash Ferdowsi Fund, which benefits…
A radical new chapter: Why Danny Caine gave up 49 percent of his business to form an employee ownership collective
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. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. LAWRENCE…
KC’s top emerging business just exited; How a deal forged in the stands at Arrowhead rewrites the code on Black women in tech
No stereotypes here, Tammy Buckner said, announcing a merger between Techquity Digital and a rising Kansas City-born startup that’s expected to elevate Black tech in the region — and the women in its ranks. “[There’s an idea that] ‘Black women can’t work together.’ … I think this proves that we can,” Buckner, founder and CEO of…
Porter House KC’s new ‘Alchemy Sandbox’ grants 20 main street businesses with up to $5K each
A newly launched program by The Porter House KC is aimed at providing small business owners with as much as $5,000 for their back office, equipment cost, rental assistance or general system needs, detailed Dan Smith. “We’re really excited about this Alchemy Sandbox program. ‘Alchemy’ is a word that just kept coming up at the…
Their exclusive Chiefs hoodies sold out in less than three hours; How you can snag a tee before it’s too late
Chiefs playoffs tickets might be the hottest-selling item in town, but there’s a close second. Lines started forming at 4 p.m. Friday outside MADE MOBB’s headquarters in the Crossroads as fans eagerly awaited the release of the premier KC streetwear brand’s exclusive post-season collaboration with the Kansas City Chiefs. And the crowds didn’t let up…
