Profiles Stories

Juan Paredes and Sonia Sandoval, Happy Tummy; Startland News photo by Channa Steinmetz

Nothing speaks like flavor: How Johnson County’s favorite empanada stand plans to reach more ‘happy tummies’ (and where to find them)

 When Sonia Sandoval moved to America from Venezuela, language was a barrier, she recalled. Rather than keep to herself, Sandoval found a more meaningful form of communication: food. “I started [cooking] when I was 11 years old,” said Sandoval, who co-founded the pop-up Venezuelan food concept, Happy Tummy, with her husband, Juan Paredes. “I…

Cosmo Burger; photo courtesy of Pilsen Photo Co-Op

How this Waldo burger stand crafts the tastiest patties in the cosmos (and where its ground round galaxy is expanding next)

Keep it simple and smashed, said Jacob Kruger. “I have always been a big fan of restaurants and businesses that have a very simplistic approach,” said Kruger, who serves as the head chef (or “Burger Boy”) at Cosmo Burger, located within Dodson’s Bar and Commons in Waldo — and coming soon to Lenexa Public Market….

Nikil Ragav, inventXYZ

New in KC: How Travis Kelce lured Pennsylvania startup inventXYZ (and its team) to Kansas City

Editor’s note: New in KC is an ongoing profile series that highlights newly relocated members of the Kansas City startup community, their reasons for a change of scenery, and what they’ve found so far in KC. This series is sponsored by C2FO, a Leawood-based, global financial services company. Click here to read more New in KC profiles. Nikil Ragav’s journey to…

Diana Kander and Jessie Jacob, JD Insights

The problem with asking customers what they want? They lie (but not to this KC data duo)

For years, Diana Kander has researched how to interview customers — specifically how to get the truth from them, she said. It’s been key to helping her work with companies to innovate and grow. But in early 2021 the consultant and author of “All In Startup” and “The Curiosity Muscle” was perplexed by a problem…

Danny Zaslavsky and Chris Hoke, VinCue

2022 Startups to Watch: VinCue steers locally owned auto dealers into battle against national chains

Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list, now in its seventh year recognizing founders and startups that editors believe will make some of the biggest news in the coming 12 months. The following is one of 2022’s companies. Click here to view the full…