Startups Stories
New tequila, same family: Why you’ll miss all the shots you don’t take of this soon-to-be iconic KC spirit
They’re among Kansas City’s most popular brands, Andy Miller said, distilling just how crucial it is for the minds behind Spanish Gardens, Perez, and Silva’s to get it right as they launch a new brand: Una Familia Tequila. “There were sleepless nights,” recalled Miller, founder of Una Familia and COO of Spanish Gardens Foods — the…
One of KC’s top emerging founders joins cast of new reality TV show for startups; see who else is competing
Twenty startups picked to live in a house — competing in a series of entrepreneurship games for a reality TV show — could’ve been a nightmare, said Jonaie Johnson. But the bootstrapped creator of a KC-built smart dog crate was up for the challenge, she said. “Spending a week in a mansion with a bunch…
MTV veteran’s new docu-series crowns ‘greatest startup on The Blox,’ evolving reality TV beyond ‘messy’ sensationalism
The premiere of a 17-episode, gamified entrepreneurship challenge marks a pivot in reality TV — as “Shark Tank meets Top Chef” within a competition show that focuses more on startup development than sensational conflict. “We weren’t prepared to go down a ‘messy’ reality TV path, because we don’t want to exploit or hurt entrepreneurs. But,…
Torch.AI secures second acquisition in two months with more in its pipeline, revealing strategy to ‘turbocharge’ military intel
Leawood-based artificial intelligence firm Torch.AI recently expanded its team and capabilities through the acquisition of B23 — a Virginia-based data extraction software company, noted Adam Lurie, chief strategy officer of Torch.AI “Our belief is that the combination of Torch.AI’s software platform Nexus, alongside the subject matter expertise and customer capabilities of B23, will allow us…
Splitting time between student, entrepreneur lives earns Splitsy co-founder top UMKC honor
Recognition as UMKC’s Student Entrepreneur of the Year is a reminder that innovators often begin early, said Brad Starnes, one of Kansas City’s most-talked-about emerging young startup founders. “When I was about 8 years old, I submitted a drawing to an engineering firm,” said the co-founder of Splitsy, a bill splitting app that launched its…
