Startups Stories
Product without a pitch deck: How one startup tech veteran is seeding his new venture with ‘something real’
Ryan Townsend has worked within some of Kansas City’s most headline-grabbing startups for years, but now he’s taking the lead with his product-driven venture Hively — focusing specifically on bringing a mobile-first solution to event management. “I’ve always been the technology guy,” Townsend said, referencing his time as chief technology officer at such companies as…
Pipeline pilots new ‘Pathway’ cohort to boost womxn, minority, rural founders into scaling position
Editor’s note: Pipeline Entrepreneurs, a network and fellowship of high-performing entrepreneurs in the Midwest, is a community partner and financial supporter of Startland News. A new fellowship program designed exclusively for underserved entrepreneurs is expected to help better prepare founders who identify as womxn, minority, or are leading a business in a rural community to…
In the Black: Why Venture Noire is bringing capital resources from Arkansas to KC’s founders of color
It’s time Black-led companies went from over-mentored and under-resourced to well-connected and infused with capital, Keenan Beasley said, announcing plans for establishing more equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems that begin, in part, with a presence in Kansas City. “Kansas City is a very mature market,” Beasley, founder of Venture Noire, said of what he’s observed among the…
Comeback KC Ventures launches program to fund, accelerate COVID solutions in region
A new Kansas City-based program is recruiting 20 fellows — from among the metro’s first-time entrepreneurs and established businesses — for an effort to help accelerate innovations, products or service lines that are solving needs exposed by the pandemic. “The public health crisis posed by COVID-19 ignited a need for rapid change and innovation,” said Jim…
Why this five-star moving company takes TikTok behind the scenes of its expansion
Moving is an emotional experience for many, Chase Higgins said, which is why it is crucial for him and his team to set a positive tone during what could be a stressful day. “A lot of people are moving because of a new job; or they are at a new school; or unfortunately, they’re going…
