Startups Stories
Designer Whitney Manney using JOANN grant to reshape the fabric of KC’s fashion scene
Kansas City is legit — and it’s full of talented creatives who national eyes should be watching, said Whitney Manney. “I think COVID has shown us you can show up and show out from anywhere in this world,” added Manney, a local fashion designer, maker, and founder of the WHITNEYMANNEY (WM) fashion label, in announcement…
How a no-touch copper tool built in Lenexa could be a tipping point for safe contact amid COVID
Editor’s note: The following is part of a three-part series spotlighting U.S. military veterans who also are Kansas City entrepreneurs. Innovation is at an all-time high as COVID-19 continues to create new market categories, said Shawn Tipping, noting the pandemic has raised new awareness about the thin barriers between health and sickness. “We’ve never had…
KC Crew founder set to open ‘first-of-many’ game-centered bar, restaurant in STL metro
Editor’s note: The following is part of a three-part series spotlighting U.S. military veterans who also are Kansas City entrepreneurs. This report features Luke Wade, a member of the Army National Guard who previously was deployed to Iraq. Luke Wade spent the past nine years connecting 70,000 Kansas Citians through KC Crew — a downtown-area…
Mowd founder pivots beyond mowing lawns to tech startup; offering landscapers an online payment platform
The grass isn’t necessarily greener on the tech side of entrepreneurship, mused Tate Hayes, but revenue and market opportunity grow wild. “[Small businesses and startups] come with their own difficulties and maybe even simplicities,” said Hayes, founder of Mowd, comparing his newly launched startup to his previous venture — Kansas City-based Hayes Lawncare. “[As a…
Confidence for dudes, wrapped in a robe: Luxee launches subscription box for mens wellness
Look good, feel good, and crush it, said Colton Ropson, unboxing the purpose behind his newly launched men’s subscription startup — Luxee. “We pretty much learn to shave and that’s it,” said Ropson, who co-founded the subscription box startup with his best friend, Alec Grawe. They duo described their perception of Midwest-raised men and those…
