News Stories

2023 is about ‘going deeper’: Startups to Watch gathers founders from streetwear, tech to NFTs, Esports (Event Photos)

Storytelling brings communities together, said Austin Barnes, as nearly 200 of the region’s corporate, small business and startup leaders gathered for Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2023 reception and awards presentation.  “Startups to Watch is an opportunity for Startland News to do what it does best — amplify the story of entrepreneurship…

What’s in a name? KC filmmakers’ documentary short finds ‘Black joy,’ Sundance premiere in reclaiming a family name

Names hold a person’s legacy and connect them to their past. Names are individualistic while also a representation of family units. Names are the first thing people own in the world, said Kansas City filmmakers Sharon Liese and Catherine Hoffman.  The duo came together to tell the complicated, yet joyous, story of the Parker family….

SnapIT’s founder builds tech company’s mission overseas while growing talent pool in Kansas

Employers across the globe need access to tech talent as demand for skilled IT workers surges, said Neelima Parasker, noting her Overland Park-based firm writes critical coding for the solution.  “What we provide is unique in the sense that we are producing tech talent the fastest through microcredentials,” said Parasker, the founder and CEO of…

How this reality TV star is using his platform to help tech students start life-changing careers without heavy debt

Nehemiah Clark stands at the crossroads of reality TV and inclusive tech education. As a former cast member on MTV’s “The Real World: Austin” and a frequent competitor on the Paramount+ “The Challenge” series, Clark leverages his audience to further the mission of SnapIT Solutions, he shared. “On [‘The Challenge’], I’ve talked about what I…

How Charlie Hustle’s wholesale expansion, collegiate licensing is growing its brand beyond the KC Heart

Chase McAnulty is on a mission to build Charlie Hustle into a national brand, he shared, without losing the company’s roots in Kansas City. “We’ve really driven the narrative that not only celebrates culture, but civic pride. It’s a challenge to go to these other markets and give them their version of the KC Heart,…