Latest Stories
He wants to create 100 millionaires before he dies (but first Nassir Criss says he’ll have to leave KC)
Nassir Criss has been a risk-taker for as long as he can remember, he shared. “When you start at the bottom, the only place you can go is up — so I’ve never been afraid to speak my mind or walk up to someone who I think may be interesting and say hello. I haven’t…
Sometimes self-care is more about shutting down than showing out (Holistic Hustle)
Kharissa Parker-Forte is a news producer, writer, certified health coach, and columnist for Startland News. Read her “Holistic Hustle” columns for Startland News here. When I recently made the decision to dissolve my self care brand, Grace & Grind, it was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever had to make. From the outside looking…
Sandlot scores endorsement by one of KC’s favorite players; how the deal puts this brand on a base path to the big leagues
Kansas City’s only local hat maker, Sandlot Goods, announced Thursday its first professional athlete endorsement — from Royals infielder Nicky Lopez — in a hit aimed as a major play in the brand’s home run strategy. “We are incredibly excited about our first major league endorsement,” said Chad Hickman, founder of Sandlot Goods. “The first…
Despise doggie duty? It’s only No. 10 on startup’s list of pet peeve tasks people don’t want to do themselves
One in four Kansas City residents say they’ve become worse at handling awkward tasks since the pandemic began, according to a new survey by local services marketplace Airtasker. Among the most biting tasks KC wants to avoid: picking up dog poop from someone else’s lawn. Airtasker, which acquired Kansas City-based startup Zaarly in May 2021,…
Overland Park startup wins four pilot projects through NXTUS health competition
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. WICHITA…
Inside-the-box thinking: Veteran entrepreneurs craft memory care tools to engage dementia patients
The founders of one of Kansas City’s celebrated small businesses are launching a new solution for dementia care: a curated, monthly subscription box full of themed engagement activities and tools designed to improve patients’ quality of life. Prairie Elder Care’s Michala Gibson and Mandy Shoemaker originated the idea for the Connectivities subscription tool during the…
KC data platform mySidewalk partners with GoDaddy to launch online economic insight tool
A new tool from Kansas City’s mySidewalk and GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative is expected to give local and regional policymakers in the U.S. unprecedented — and direct — access to information on the economic impact of more than 20 million microbusinesses, said Stephen Hardy. “At mySidewalk, we work every day with leaders across the country…
Top emerging business finds its bliss as city uncorks bookstore’s ability to serve wine
A city ordinance change is expected to move one of Kansas City’s only Black-owned bookstores closer to its chilled brick-and-mortar location — popping the cork on Bliss Books & Wine’s ability to serve its namesake beverage once the Midtown storefront opens. “People have been waiting a very long time for this storefront and have been working…
LA game tech startup boosting its KC footprint with 100 new jobs, high-profile downtown HQ
A rapidly expanding gaming technology studio hopes to put approachable blockchain technology in the hands of consumers — and it’s pressing play on a strategy to bring dozens of new jobs to Kansas City and give players, developers, and content creators “true ownership” within the games they love. Based in Sherman Oaks, California, Mythical Games…
‘Homegrown unicorn’ helped this startup hub beat the bracket (and its top seed Kansas competition)
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. A…
