Latest Stories
Want to talk (downtown) baseball? Royals set Plexpod Westport Commons for first stop on listening tour
Less than a month after announcing the Royals’ intention to build a $2 billion downtown ballpark district — a vision that would see the Major League Baseball franchise leave its longtime home at Kauffman Stadium — the team’s leadership is opening a community dialogue on its future. The move would boost economic growth for entrepreneurs,…
Agtech startup officially moves its corral to KC with global HQ’s relocation from Oregon
Vytelle’s new global headquarters is joining a region with the largest concentration of industry professionals devoted to the health, well-being, and genetic progress of animals, said Kerryann Kocher, announcing the startup’s official move to Lenexa. “We’re excited to put down roots in the Midwest and call Kansas City home to our global headquarters,” said Kocher,…
Startup’s tech putts golf clubs (and expertise) in reach with on-demand caddies, coaches
Mark Lukenbill is on a mission to make golf a more accessible and enjoyable sport for individuals of all backgrounds, he shared. “There’s this stigma that golf is an old, rich, white guy sport; but we’re seeing tons of diversity on the course,” said Lukenbill, the founder and CEO of Mpruv Sports and its premier…
This weekend only: Festive balloon wonderland inflates holiday spirit at 18th and Vine
More than 125,000 biodegradable balloons are lifting holiday spirits this weekend in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District. The Big Balloon Build — an international festival — is popping up Dec. 2-4 at the Gregg/Klice Community Center. Led by Peyton Westfall and Darren Huffman of Kansas City’s Pop Culture Sculptures, more than 70 balloon…
Hollywood Animation Academy secures home at Centriq; set to begin first classes in January
Hollywood Animation Academy is leaping from the drawing board to live action in January with its first group of enrolled students. Founded by veteran director and animator Gavin Dell, the trade school is set to prepare students for jobs in the film, gaming, and television industry. Dell, an Overland Park native, returned to Kansas City…
KC duo opens candy shop at Mizzou, bringing familiar flavors to students far from home
COLUMBIA, Missouri — A pair of Mizzou students from the Kansas City area are providing international students on campus with a taste of home. Kogo’s Kandies sells candy and treats from other countries, with the goal of fostering a more inclusive campus environment at the University of Missouri, said co-founders Jacob Burrell-Kogo and Henry Accardo….
Custom digital avatar tech, affordable housing startup among Scale’s third cohort
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. COLUMBIA,…
Vytelle doubles its bovine IVF lab capacity; outpacing goals since its $13.2M round
A five-year plan initiated by Vytelle’s Series A funding round called for the agtech startup to double its laboratory capacity to produce bovine embryos through in vitro fertilization. Just a year later, the Lenexa-headquarted company already has opened its fifth new lab. Vytelle’s latest facility — in Franklin, Tennessee — is accessible to beef and dairy…
Feds award KCK college $745K+ to boost 30 low-income STEM students working toward biology degrees
A National Science Foundation grant is expected to support the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income STEM students, said U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, announcing the award. Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) is set to receive $745,635 to fund scholarships — over the next five years — for 30 full-time students who are pursuing a…
How this homegrown leader is steering a $2B Australian startup’s KC HQ (and 100+ workers) deeper into the Americas
Kylie Uvodich quickly wondered if she’d made a mistake after joining SafetyCulture in 2017, she said. “When I first came over [to SafetyCulture], I thought, ‘What the hell am I getting myself into? I’ll sit here and learn some things for a couple months, and then I’ll get on to my next thing,’” Uvodich recalled….
