Startups Stories
Right to Start: Economic justice, entrepreneurship aren’t privileges for a select few, Victor Hwang says
Everyone deserves an equal start, said Victor Hwang, launching an initiative to level the playing field for early stage entrepreneurs. “We’re a campaign to rebuild the American economy by fighting for entrepreneurial opportunity for all of us — regardless of background, race, place, genders, disabilities, or circumstances. We call them ‘starters,’” said Hwang, founder and…
Weed-destroying bots: Kansas startup scales chemical-free farming with fleet of four-wheeled doers
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. CHENEY,…
Smart doorway could detect high temp, neutralize COVID on clothing, KC tech pioneer says
Blockchain might be the future, but eliminating exposure to COVID-19 is the now, said serial entrepreneur Shekhar Gupta as he takes an intelligent disinfecting doorway to market. “When you go to the airport you have to go through the X-Ray machines, right? So we developed a similar structure, but to detect COVID-19 and neutralize it…
Mother Clucker set to reopen Friday; bringing heat with spicy chicken perched for nationwide expansion
National expansion is on the menu for Kansas City-fried fast-casual hotspot Mother Clucker. But the chicken with a cult following has one hurdle in front of it — getting to the other side of COVID-19, said Derrick Foster. “Right before the pandemic hit we got approved to become a national franchise,” Foster, the founder and owner,…
Brown Sugar Collective promises sisterhood of support, collaboration for women of color
When it comes to entrepreneurial support in Kansas City, women of color often are left out of conversations that could help them grow their businesses, said Ashley Rudd. “They don’t necessarily feel like their voice is heard,” Rudd, founder of the personal shopping startup She’s Thrifted, said of her experience within the metro’s entrepreneurial community and…
