Startups Stories

Wesley Hamilton, Disabled But Not Really, and Karamo Brown, "Queer Eye"; image courtesy of Netflix

More than a makeover: ‘Queer Eye’ gives Wesley Hamilton an opportunity to thank the shooter who put him in a wheelchair

Wesley Hamilton’s clear vision for his potential impact took away the nerves while in front of cameras for Netflix’s “Queer Eye,” he said.  “Me being able to get on a show with that type of exposure and spread my message to those within my community and outside of it… I’m just really excited for the…

Graham Dodge, Sickweather patent

Sickweather spent 8 years and $100K+ to obtain a patent; Is IP protection worth the cost?

Graham Dodge wanted to check a box for investors seeking security for his crowdsourced sickness forecasting startup Sickweather, he said. Obtaining a patent for the technology, however, proved a tougher task to chart.  “We just wanted to protect ourselves to build value in the company,” said Dodge, CEO of Sickweather, as well as Garnish Health,…

Chris Cheatham, RiskGenius

RiskGenius announces Series B, partnerships with trio of world’s largest insurance carriers

Customers are pushing for the growth of RiskGenius, a top Kansas City startup providing software-based natural language processing tools for improved quality and accuracy in the insurance industry, said CEO Chris Cheatham. RiskGenius announced Monday an undisclosed Series B round led by Hudson Structured Capital Management Ltd., doing business as HSCM Bermuda. The financing round…

TRNDSTTRS reboots to link companies to new wave of Gen Z consumers

After a period of significant traction that included a merger, TRNDSTTRS Media has returned to Kansas City with a redefined vision and laser focus to better elevate Gen Z in the entrepreneurial and advertising landscape, explained Jake Bjorseth.  “We really wanted to take that next step in growth and rather than compete at these lower…

George Brooks, Crema startup

Value rich: Crema shifts gears in startup support approach as agency evolves

Providing scaling companies with new pathways to learning is the latest objective for Crema, said George Brooks, detailing the digital agency’s constant evolution.  “We had this opportunity with the brands that we’ve been working with over the past few years to basically figure out, ‘Hey, how do we increase the value of your company?’” explained…