Startups Stories

New Kansas City coworking studio draws Gov. Jay Nixon

While still under construction, Kansas City’s soon-to-be largest coworking studio made its public debut with the visit of Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon. A Democrat from De Soto, Mo., Nixon on Tuesday toured North Kansas City-based iWerx, a massive 33,000-square-feet coworking studio that plans to be open for business in September. iWerx also will house a…

Fund me, KC: MatchOn serves up virtual tennis club

Startland News is continuing its segment to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like MatchOn founder Garrett Gates — to share their stories to gain a little help from their supporters. Back MatchOn’s Indiegogo campaign here. Who are you? Garrett Gates, founder and CEO of MatchOn….

Techweek KC aims for significant growth in 2016

With aggressive goals in mind, Techweek Kansas City is ramping up excitement for its second-annual festival of innovation and entrepreneurship in the City of Fountains. The national tech conference and media firm hosted a countdown party Monday in downtown Kansas City in which Techweek CEO Amanda Signorelli said she hopes to top the festival’s inaugural…

Dignity and a dollar: The Grooming Project empowers KC mothers

Natasha Kirsch believes that a living wage does more than provide people with money. That’s why she founded Empowering the Parent to Empower the Child (EPEC), a non-profit that helps young mothers in poverty find higher-paying jobs and become self-reliant in the process. And to achieve that mission, Kirsch is kickstarting an effort that not…

Grant Gooding: Your wimpy brand needs to pick a fight

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Think about your three biggest competitors. … Got ‘em? Now, what do you say when a potential customer asks you why they should do business with you instead of them? More often than not your response contains subjective and ineffective language. You say…