News Stories
Big ideas for young people: How Equal Minded Café crowdfunded its coffee shop youth incubator’s next blend
Dontavious Young is betting on the next generation. As founder of Equal Minded Café and the Big Ideas Foundation, Young is creating space for high school students to build businesses, find purpose, and take ownership of their futures. “I want to be someone who kids remember their whole life,” Young said. “Almost everyone has an…
Downtown restaurant fires up the summertime bar and grill in former KC Daiquiri Shop
It’s a few days into AJ’s Bar & Grill’s soft launch in downtown Kansas City. Managing partner Matthew Hill stands by the kitchen window, fielding lunch orders for both to-go, dine-in and delivery (he was running some orders to nearby offices in sweltering 90-degree-plus temperatures). Inside the new Grand Boulevard restaurant: it’s cool and low-lit,…
KC-built sports tech startup acquired by AI-powered fundraising, engagement platform
The acquisition of Kansas City-built Athlete Network — a platform designed to foster lifelong connections between student-athletes and athletic alumni — deepens the startup’s work a decade after it launched, its founder said. “This is a huge milestone for our team, and I want to take a moment to sincerely thank our teammates, partners and…
Investors laud emerging founder’s expertise as CarePilot logs $2.5M for AI healthtech tool
It’s rare for a regional venture capital firm like KCRise Fund to invest in an entrepreneur just out of college, the Midwest-focused firm told Startland News, detailing the remarkable talent that led it to join an early round for Joseph Tutera’s digital health startup. Overland Park-based CarePilot recently announced a $2.5 million seed round led…
Whir to find hyper-local deals: Startup launching app to help newcomers, natives connect to small biz exclusives
A side quest for $5 burger baskets and cheap beers has matured into a tech platform built to help a wide range of users easily discover local deals, said Blake Coffee, noting his startup deepens small businesses’ engagement with their communities. “We definitely thought it would be more of a college app at first,” said…
