Startups Stories
$50K inclusion grant to KCMO a step toward ‘most entrepreneurial city’ for everyone
Kansas City, Missouri, pocketed a major win for the entrepreneurial community Wednesday, becoming one of 10 cities in the nation to be selected for the City Accelerator initiative for inclusive contract procurement. The city will receive a $50,000 grant by the Citi Foundations and Living Cities to increase the opportunities for firms owned by people…
Startup, investor, corporate worlds collide; Ron LeMay’s message for KC: Sit down and talk
Ron LeMay wasn’t willing to watch entrepreneurs flee Kansas City to build their game-changing companies on the coasts, he recalled. “That’s a prescription for disaster over time,” LeMay, CEO of Main Street Data and managing director of Open Air Equity Partners, said of the way he viewed entrepreneurial progress in the City of Fountains as…
Nuts and bolts: Lenexa-forged Enduralock tech catches the eye of NASA, Shell
A Lenexa-based startup is gathering accolades faster than a SpaceX rocket’s methane-fueled full flow staged combustion cycle. “Investors definitely see something unique that is brewing here in Kansas City, so we are excited to represent the area,” said Diana Greenberg, COO and co-founder of Enduralock. Founded in 2014, Enduralock is one of 10 finalist tech…
Competitive scoring for medical marijuana licenses pit startups against time as window narrows
Missouri entrepreneurs hoping to roll into the multi-million dollar medical marijuana industry first must jump a number of hurdles. Step one: Obtaining a license. “Missouri is very competitive,” said Dre Taylor, founder of Nile Valley Aquaponics. “So you know, if you’re trying to win the application, you need to have your ducks in a row.”…
Father turns grief over son’s loss into healthtech solution for speedier medical records transfers
Chris Jones’ quietly sunny disposition belies the hard knocks peppered throughout his past. Then again, the full-time consultant, masters candidate, and now startup founder sees all past experience as a catalyst for growth, he said. “Everything you’ve been through in life prepares you for this moment, now,” said Jones, founder of MatchRite Care. “So you…
