News Stories

TFA, AT&T deal will expand computer science education in KC

Despite the growing number of computing job openings, only 1 in 4 U.S. schools offer computer science classes, according to the White House. To expand its computer science initiative, Teach for America Kansas City announced Monday that the organization received a donation of $100,000 from AT&T’s philanthropic arm, AT&T Aspire. The partnership’s goal is to…

Kansas program aims to create startups with public-private partnerships

A new Kansas program is tapping universities to incentivize residents to launch more startups through public-private partnerships. The Kansas Department of Commerce recently kicked off “JumpStart Kansas Entrepreneurs” in the hopes that it will spur economic growth in the Sunflower State via early-stage firms. “The program is designed to stimulate and grow the economy from…

Humanizing text analysis, Stride marches to international growth

Computers can do a lot these days, but they can’t process feelings. After all, that’s what sets humans apart from machine — right? Not necessarily it seems, as one Kansas-City based artificial intelligence firm is challenging that notion with its text-analyzing tech that not only identifies subjects but also a writer’s sentiment. A graduate of…

Idle Smart earns $125K in national clean energy program

Idle Smart recently was dubbed a top clean-energy firm and won some substantial investment capital for its technology. Based in Kansas City, Kan., the company was voted by its peers as the top firm in the Energy: US 2016 program, nabbing $125,000 for its smart thermostat device for fleet vehicles, such as semi-trucks. The company’s…

With KC startup Edcoda, students learn as wizard saviors

Across the U.S., student engagement is declining. By the time students reach high school, 2 out of 3 them will become disengaged, according to Gallup’s 2015 figures. But one Kansas City-based startup is working to change that by making fun a top priority. Edtech startup Edcoda created the 3D, online role-playing game Coda Quest, which…