Startups Stories
It started with street smarts and a spit handshake; the only thing MADE MOBB was missing: a business book
Editor’s note: Startland News’ coverage of Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City is made possible by the support of Husch Blackwell. Celebrating the victories is easy, said Vu Radley, calling out a decade in business for his streetwear company, MADE MOBB, along with high profile partnerships ranging from UMKC and United Way to the Kansas Chiefs and…
LaunchKC awards $300K: Six new startups enter the winners’ circle with KC investments
Editor’s note: Startland News’ coverage of Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City is made possible by the support of Husch Blackwell. Emerging entrepreneurs don’t need Silicon Valley to launch or scale their startups, said Holly Andra Small, leader of one of six companies announced Tuesday as $50,000 winners in LaunchKC’s grants competition. “We were so excited,” said…
PayIt on board the Harriet II, Montgomery Zoo; new portal offers ticketing for popular local attractions
A new digital platform designed by Kansas City-based PayIt not only provides improved interactions between residents of Montgomery, Alabama, and their local city government — the tool also offers ticket sales for some of the region’s most popular tourist attractions. PayIt — with headquarters in downtown Kansas City’s lightwell building — already boasts partnerships with…
These three KC startup founders are jumping into the Dolphin Tank, hoping to swim with the unicorns
When the Dolphin Tank pitch showcase sinks its teeth into a market like Kansas City, the goal is to accelerate women-led tech companies to a national level, said Rachel Rong. “Our mission is to build out the ecosystem and support women entrepreneurs in Kansas City,” said Rong, the director of operations for Springboard Enterprises, which…
Entrepreneur on the side: UMKC challenge awards cash for top student hustle
Side hustles are a growing trend across the country — and the UMKC campus, said Alex Krause Matlack, noting the university is leaning into its role as an innovation incubator for student founders. Now in its second year, UMKC’s Side Hustle Challenge was established with the primary goal of empowering students with the knowledge and…





