Woman-led Stories
UMKC pitch contest returning with $90K in prizes; spots remain for emerging startups
The 2023 edition of the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge (RVCC), an annual pitch competition hosted by UMKC, is expected to award $90,000 in equity-free funding to student entrepreneurs and Kansas City businesses. Ben Williams, managing director at the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, shared his excitement for this year’s event — set for April…
Art Junkez put Chicano custom culture on canvas with a colorful salute to family roots
The Art Junkez — a venture crafted by a Westside-raised brother and sister and their spouses — set out to create “something out of nothing” in celebration of their Mexican-American heritage, Selena Moran and Jaime Calderon shared. Growing up, it wasn’t easy to find gifts that reflected their culture — like something for their grandma…
SafetyCulture taps chair of Tesla’s board of directors as KC-rooted scaleup eyes new growth phase
Robyn Denholm brings a wealth of senior-level tech experience, leadership, and advocacy to SafetyCulture’s board of directors, the company said Monday, noting Denholm’s role as a leading voice calling for more diversity in the sector. SafetyCulture, a $2.2 billion Australian scaleup, houses its U.S. headquarters in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District, where it has been…
$60K in pitch competition winnings will help Black-owned businesses drive employment, book purchases
The owner of a mobile phlebotomy company took home the $30,000 grand prize at Friday’s We Are Black pitch competition — the first such event organized by Kansas City G.I.F.T. LaVita Green said the funding and resources from G.I.F.T. will help Caresticks Mobile Phlebotomy, which provides patients with on-site and mobile phlebotomy services, to grow…
Devoured Pizza rising into brick-and-mortar space with elevated concept, revenue sharing campaign
Devoured Pizza is on a mission to change the way people eat pizza in Kansas City, Jhy Coulter said, and the community has the opportunity to get involved now more than ever. “Food in Kansas City is evolving. It’s getting better and better, and I want to be part of that. Pizza is this canvas…