Woman-led Stories

Startup Weekend rebrands to draw MO innovators to central startup hub; capitalizing on billion-dollar success stories

COLUMBIA, Missouri — In its second year, Startup Weekend is returning to Columbia but with a slightly upgraded look, said Brett Calhoun. Columbia Startup Weekend is now Missouri Startup Weekend with the intention to attract more individuals across the state, as well as reinforce Columbia, as an established startup hub. “We rebranded Startup Weekend so…

Healium augments funding with $3.6M seed round, adds Mayo Clinic deal

Healium, a virtual and augmented reality biofeedback company, announced Monday one of the largest private equity raises for a women-owned business in mid-Missouri history. The startup — which transforms bio-data from any fitness tracker into immersive, reactive media — has also entered into a know-how license agreement with Mayo Clinic. A “virtual firefly release” using mobile…

Dolphin Tank makes a splash with women in tech: Meet the next three founders pitching

The Dolphin Tank pitch showcase returns to Kansas City this month with a trio of women-led tech startups riding a wave of heightened exposure for their ventures. Now in its second year in Kansas City, Springboard Enterprises’ Dolphin Tank is set for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Polsinelli, 900 W. 48th…

Children’s book tells KC entrepreneurs’ stories; challenging traditional pathways to success

Christle Reed wants Kansas City’s next wave of potential business builders to know they needn’t be bound to a mainstream plot line for wealth and happiness, the entrepreneur-turned-author shared. Her new children’s book about more than a dozen local entrepreneurs could help rewrite that narrative. “College isn’t the only way to success for kids,” she…

Don’t let cybersecurity plans go stale; Here’s how to refresh (and stress test) your defenses

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Angela Redmond is director, attest services, and Hannah Kenney is manager, cyber risk advisory, at BARR Advisory, which has offices in Kansas City. BARR Advisory, a cloud-based security and compliance solutions provider, specializing in cybersecurity, is a financial partner of Startland News. Click…