Startups Stories

Olathe startup remixes graduation apparel for students with hair that won’t fit the mold (or cap)

Graduation is an important time in a young person’s life, said Rashawnda Wright, noting students should look and feel their best on perhaps the biggest day of their educational careers. After watching her daughter, Myayla, struggle to wear her graduation cap atop her big, curly hair, Wright was inspired to come up with a solution….

Nonprofit shopping platform presents guardians with dignity to choose their child’s birthday gift

Birthdays are important developmental milestones, Benita Webber said, and every guardian deserves the opportunity to shop for a gift that matches the relevance of their child’s big day.  “Kids who are struggling and facing chaos every day of their lives deserve to wake up — on the day that’s most special to them — and…

LaunchKC winner shows value with $900K pre-seed round, earns critical local support

Kansas City’s DataAppraisal has secured $900,000 in pre-seed funding for its AI-powered proprietary software that helps healthcare organizations unlock the monetary value of their enterprise data, said Tam Tran. And the tech startup’s recent developments come after a year of earning local resources and support, its co-founder and CEO said. DataAppraisal’s unique solution contains two…

Jeff Blackwood New Frontier Mobile Diagnostics

New Frontier diagnoses need, expands its imaging solution to rural, underserved patients

A hands-on Kansas City healthtech company is extending its diagnostic imaging services to support clinics across Kansas and Missouri with a focus on rural health centers and “lookalike” clinics serving patients in underserved communities and healthcare deserts. New Frontier Mobile Diagnostics was founded to improve access to imaging care for patients regardless of race, gender,…

Founder to founder: One day you’re eating cheap ramen, the next you’re KC’s big exit story; struggles define startups as much as success

Even after building a startup into one of Kansas City’s biggest exit success stories, the entrepreneurs and leaders behind BacklotCars don’t sit around to talk about their grand achievements when they reunite, said Anders Ericson; they reminisce about how the tech company nearly went out of business along the way. “Everyone always wants to ask…