News Stories

He’s building a more welcoming (and eco-friendly) KC, but this entrepreneur’s vision comes with a catch: It isn’t a one-man job 

Reda Ibrahim’s home is open to everyone, he shared, especially for those who feel like they don’t belong anywhere.  “I have a big magnet toward everyone who doesn’t fit in. I faced a lot of racism; I have faced the struggle to be accepted. [When I came to the United States] seven, eight years ago,…

Art Junkez put Chicano custom culture on canvas with a colorful salute to family roots

The Art Junkez — a venture crafted by a Westside-raised brother and sister and their spouses — set out to create “something out of nothing” in celebration of their Mexican-American heritage, Selena Moran and Jaime Calderon shared. Growing up, it wasn’t easy to find gifts that reflected their culture — like something for their grandma…

How ‘raving fans’ in small town Kansas built this govtech startup’s sales funnel

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 Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures (EGV), a business unit of NetWork Kansas supporting innovative, high-growth entrepreneurs in the State of Kansas. MANHATTAN, Kansas — A trio of govtech…

SafetyCulture taps chair of Tesla’s board of directors as KC-rooted scaleup eyes new growth phase

Robyn Denholm brings a wealth of senior-level tech experience, leadership, and advocacy to SafetyCulture’s board of directors, the company said Monday, noting Denholm’s role as a leading voice calling for more diversity in the sector. SafetyCulture, a $2.2 billion Australian scaleup, houses its U.S. headquarters in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District, where it has been…

$60K in pitch competition winnings will help Black-owned businesses drive employment, book purchases

The owner of a mobile phlebotomy company took home the $30,000 grand prize at Friday’s We Are Black pitch competition — the first such event organized by Kansas City G.I.F.T. LaVita Green said the funding and resources from G.I.F.T. will help Caresticks Mobile Phlebotomy, which provides patients with on-site and mobile phlebotomy services, to grow…