Startups Stories
Startup veteran pilots Air Traffic Awareness, wants ‘Silicon Valley of Aviation’ to truly take flight
A climbing Kansas City startup could save lives by bridging technology gaps in air travel, said Kashif Hasnie. “Collisions are among the top causes of aircraft accidents in the world,” explained Hasnie, CEO of Air Traffic Awareness. First launched as a class project at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Air Traffic Awareness has developed patent-pending,…
Young agency bottles digital savvy for startup where co-founder brewed booch
From booch bottler to boss, Zack Schneller isn’t forgetting his Tea-Biotics roots as he embarks on his own startup journey — which has him helping his former employer with an eCommerce emergence and social media scale up. “We did a free trial for them, which happened to fall on National Kombucha Day,” Schneller, co-founder of Oak…
Julep owner: KCMO liquor rules could drown bar-restaurants already struggling to reopen
As locally owned bars and restaurants start to reopen, a new threat to their success is emerging — city regulations designed in a pre-pandemic world. “There’s a lot of unintended consequences from these mandated shutdowns that need to be addressed from a legal standpoint,” explained Beau Williams, owner of Julep Cocktail Club in Westport. While…
Techstars KC returns: Meet 10 startups bringing diverse solutions to the rebooted accelerator
The hotly anticipated Techstars Kansas City 2020 accelerator class features startups enabling greater transparency and access in healthcare, the food supply, and justice for all, said Lesa Mitchell. Two of the ventures are based in St. Louis. “We’re also welcoming companies with new platforms and new business models that will attract and facilitate broader talent…
COVID-19 opened door for to-go cocktails; KC Daiquiri duo wants to keep sales flowing permanently
If Missouri and Kansas City leaders want to help small businesses recoup lost cash after weeks of shutdown, they’d be wise to take a cue from the Big Easy, said owners of KC Daiquiri Shop. “The restaurant industry I’m seeing right now is kind of suffering,” explained Calvin Vick, who co-owns the New Orleans-inspired KC…










