News Stories

LaunchKC liftoff: Meet 13 startups competing for their share of $300K in grant winnings 

Kansas City’s premiere grants competition returns in mere weeks with six $50,000 grants on the line, said Becca Castro, and more than dozen startup founders are being interviewed this week to help determine the winners. LaunchKC — a partnership between the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri, and the Downtown Council — plans to…

AltCap Your Biz reveals 10 finalists vying for $25K grand prize at cornerstone GEWKC event

A competition aimed at mobilizing the next generation of entrepreneurs and social innovators — along with awarding more than $40,000 in cash prizes to its winners — announced Monday the 10 finalists vying for its 2023 honors. AltCap Your Biz returns to the stage Thursday, Nov. 16 at Plexpod Westport at Park 39 as part…

Critics challenge DEI as ‘immoral’; this VC has a message for those seeking equity for Black, Brown founders: We are not powerless

Pushing for equity in long-siloed industries might seem obvious to some, said Marcus Whitney, but advocates for change must remember that not everyone is on board — and some are actively working against level the playing field. “I hate to say it, but we have enemies,” Whitney told a crowd gathered Thursday at Vine Street…

Not excited about these 3 Downtown KC projects? ‘You need to have your pulse checked’

It’s never been a better time for businesses in Downtown Kansas City, shared Mike Klamm. “A lot of us are Kansas City natives, and if you’re not excited about where we are right now, I do think you need to have your pulse checked,” said Klamm, chair of the Downtown Council board and senior vice…

Donutology’s trolley adds new flavor to River Market with streetcar shop stop’s opening

Kansas City’s new treat trolley has arrived with Friday’s opening of the new Donutology donut shop within a 70-year-old repurposed streetcar in River Market. Just a few months after news broke that Donutology would take over the space at 426 Delaware St. — formerly a Made in KC micro location — the business opened its…