News Stories

GEWKC adds full day of Spanish programming to serve growing community of entrepreneurs

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Missouri Business Alert, a member of the Kansas City Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, and The Kansas City Beacon. Click here to read the original story. Para leer una versión de esta historia en español, haga clic aquí. When Ana…

Young mom’s apparel for crawling babies wins best fit for UMKC Side Hustle Challenge

Riley Rhoads knows firsthand how overwhelming it is to shop for baby clothes, the University of Missouri-Kansas City student and new mother shared, so she created a product to help fellow moms. Hold Tight Baby — Rhoads’ venture that earned her first place at UMKC’s Side Hustle Challenge — makes pants for crawling babies. The…

Investor market turns Midwest conservative: ‘Everyone here is feeling a changing landscape’

After years of soaring valuations across the startup scene, venture firms like M25 are observing a shift to more risk-averse investors and stricter examinations of even the most-exciting company’s worth, said Abhinaya Konduru. “We’re seeing a new normal,” said Konduru, a principal on the influential Chicago-based M25 team and a panelist at Thursday’s MidxMidwest event…

Power & Light: $10M in Live! Block upgrades planned before downtown’s Big 12 ‘opening day’

The Kansas City Live! Block in the Power & Light District — a place KCMO Councilman Crispen Rea calls the living room of Kansas City — is set for a $10 million upgrade, local business and civic leaders announced Thursday. Key updates also target the popular District nightclub Mosaic. “It’s become an engine that generates…

Google makes new $120K pledge to KC schools; region embraces a future built on flexibility 

In an era of artificial intelligence and high-tech solutions, the children of Kansas City remain a vital piece of the region’s future economic sustainability, said Utaukwa Allen, announcing a new financial pledge from Google that targets local students. Kansas City Public Schools have been selected for a $120,000 partnership with Google to strengthen KCPS’ STEM…