Startups Stories
Ruby Jean’s juices unity, entrepreneurism with Troost opening (Photos)
Chris Goode is helping change what Troost Avenue means to Kansas City, pastor Stanley Archie said Saturday morning at the grand opening of Ruby Jean’s Kitchen & Juicery. Troost has been a place of division, he said, noting years of racial segregation along the corridor where those with a “permanent tan” weren’t welcome west of…
The Jam KC offers space for musicians to get loud, turn up
In a small, Midtown Kansas City room brimming with musicians and their instruments, Allen Monroe peers over his 1963 Hammond B-3 organ at a handful of onlookers. A toothpick concealed by a thick grey mustache emerges as he smiles, preparing to deliver a gentle jab to the artists around him. “Remember, you don’t have to…
WillCo Tech’s sale allows founder guilt-free $200K investment in smart grid startup
Selling a majority stake in his IT consulting firm will allow Kevin Williams to focus on and expand his startup venture, the Kansas City tech entrepreneur said. Although the exact amount was undisclosed, the acquisition by Ohio-based Metisentry earlier this month provided a big enough payoff to fund Williams’ and his wife’s future retirement, as…
Likarda scaling up biotech research firm with $4M angel boost, new lab
An animal’s diabetes diagnosis comes with a heavy burden for the pet’s owners, Lisa Stehno-Bittel said. And it’s not just the cost of treatment, the president and co-founder of Likarda added. “Of those who will try twice-daily insulin injections, within a year, half of those have given up,” she said. “A lot of that is…
Tech exec to startups: Give employees late start Tuesday for airport vote
Editor’s note: Luke Norris, head of local government solutions for Kansas City-based PayIt, wrote this opinion piece in response to the Nov. 7 single terminal airport ballot questions facing Kansas City, Missouri voters. The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. November 7. It will be a day that a lot of us…
