Startups Stories

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation startup growth

To cultivate area ecosystem, Kauffman launches ‘KC Connector’ project

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is setting out on a mission to better connect people cultivating Kansas City’s entrepreneurial and education communities. The Kauffman Foundation is asking Kansas Citians to nominate the area’s unsung heroes” for its new Community Connector Project. Inspired by similar initiatives that have been implemented in Portland, Philadelphia and Louisville, the…

The 2017 Battle of the Brands set to kick off

Along with dozens of participating companies around the metro area, KCSourceLink is gearing up for its 2017’s Battle of the Brands competition. Battle of the Brands is a bracket-style competition that pits Kansas City businesses against each other — only one will reign as the “Aristo of Entrepreneurship.” Its purpose? To shine a light on…

Quickly-growing HipHire to launch app for part-timers

A startup facilitating part-time job placement is finding traction. Launched in 2015, HipHire digitally matches people looking for and offering part-time gigs. HipHire founder Brian Kearns wanted there to be a solution that was “a step up from CraigsList” that the public could rely on to find quality jobs. Kearns said that over 1,000 job matches have…

Life Equals raises $780K, opens larger West Bottoms office

Health supplement startup Life Equals is the latest firm to outgrow the entrepreneurial hamlet known as the Kansas City Startup Village. Thanks to a growing team, the Lenexa-based company — which sells vitamins and supplement products — is ditching its quaint 900-square-foot office in the village to create a spacious 3,700-square-foot event space in the…

Greitens’ budget cuts ding Missouri, KC entrepreneurship efforts

A series of state budget cuts by Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens will directly impact Kansas City entrepreneurship. The sweeping $146.4 million rollback of the Show Me State’s budget will cut funds from both the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Free Enterprise Center and Missouri Technology Corporation. Greitens’ plan will cut about $3.3 million from the enterprise…