Minority-Led Stories
Are venture-seeking women, minority founders at an unfair disadvantage in KC?
Editor’s note: The following is the second in a series of analyses of Startland’s list of Kansas City’s Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies. On stage with a handful of men, Erin Papworth faced a dilemma. The founder of Nav.It — one of the startups to recently complete Fountain City Fintech’s second accelerator cohort — found herself fighting…
Pivoting back to a full-time franchise hustle: ‘Worst thing you can do is stop,’ Yogurtini owner says
Running a franchise can require as much passion and perseverance as any other entrepreneurial endeavor — including those in the startup space, said Isaac Collins. Would-be business owners shouldn’t get caught up in the jargon of what is and isn’t “real” hustle when trying to craft a livelihood for themselves or their families, he said. A…
Murals by Sike Style, JT Daniels paint ‘One KC’ across state line, Plexpod locations
Economic momentum in the Kansas City region has never been stronger — no matter which side of the state line a business operates, Gerald Smith said. A colorful pair of murals now splash that reality across two of the veteran entrepreneur’s Plexpod locations. Reflecting a border war “truce” — called in August between the governors of…
Boddle scores $25K AT&T Aspire audience award thanks to tough love on duo’s most difficult pitch
Just because a pitch is tough doesn’t mean it won’t payoff, said Clarence Tan. “Smiles will take you miles,” Tan, CEO and cofounder of Boddle Learning, said of his and co-founder Edna Martinson’s latest pitch at the AT&T Pitches and Purpose contest in San Francisco — the pair’s most difficult presentation to date, they said…
Helix Health finds ‘enlightening’ support in Spencer Fane’s new STARTUP Lab, co-founder says
Spencer Fane’s STARTUP Lab already is having an impact on its first selected company, Helix Health, said Aaron Deacon. “It has been a really enlightening experience for me,” said Deacon, co-founder of Helix Health alongside Anurag Patel, explaining support from the law firm. “To have the advice and help from other people who know how…
