Latest Stories
Black and bookish: Founder hopes to turn pop-up page, eyeing coffee and book shop on KC’s east side
Jahna Riley loves the atmosphere of coffee shops. Connecting with others over coffee and a good book is a personal joy, she said, noting one glaring exception in most shops: inclusivity. “Kansas City has an amazing coffee scene, but it’s not necessarily one where I see my culture reflected in it,” Riley shared. “I want…
Why one KC woodworker says he won’t let ‘anything short of the best’ ship out his River Market door
Matt Castilleja’s River Market furniture business ships sculptural and elemental pieces from coast-to-coast — often surprising high-end customers and design fans with the craftsman’s firmly planted Kansas City roots, said Castilleja. “People would think we were some New York boutique or based in someplace like Spain or Italy — more established design communities,” the owner…
Plug and Play taps leader of Topeka young professionals to lead soon-to-launch accelerator
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. TOPEKA…
Black & Veatch spinout gives Atonix Digital the startup space to scale on its own
A newly independent Atonix Digital is leaning into growth opportunities after being spun out of its corporate home at Black & Veatch earlier this year. “The benefit to Black & Veatch is: they get to stay on their core business model. The benefit to Atonix Digital is: we get to be more nimble, pursue new…
Want COVID recovery to work? Send 5 percent of government contracts to new businesses
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Victor Hwang is the founder and CEO of the Right to Start movement. Click here to learn more about Right to Start, a campaign to drive economic recovery and advance economic justice. This commentary originally appeared on Inc. and is republished with permission…
Entrepreneurs’ intellectual property rights: How to protect trade secrets shouldn’t be a mystery
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary — the third in a four-part series — are the author’s alone. Chris Brown is the founder of Venture Legal where he represents startups, freelancers, and small businesses. This column is intended to be general in detail and does not constitute legal advice. With both federal and…
‘Rise Up, Get Started’ shifts to matching grant program for formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs
Rather than continue as an entrepreneurship competition for formerly incarcerated people, “Rise Up, Get Started” is pivoting to a matching grant program that supports more individuals seeking a new path through small business, said Kyle J. Benson-Smith. “I was inspired by hearing the stories of second chance entrepreneurs from folks who were starting successful businesses…
How one artisan chocolatier rewrote the recipe for her life — and molded a new, more approachable luxury chocolate
A Blue Springs-dipped chocolate shop isn’t just selling show-stopping sweets, it’s unwrapping a community-coated adventure for a local mom — eight years in the making. “I feel more a part of this community than I ever have before,” said Jessica Washburn, co-owner of Bliss Chocolatier, an artisan chocolate boutique dedicated to crafting a number of treats…
KCK trainer launches lifestyle, fitness app that pays users cashback for burning calories
Investing in your health just got a lot more literal with Deposit The Work — an app that pays users when they burn calories — explained Jasper Sanders. “I was trying to come up with a way for people to stay with fitness,” said Sanders, the app’s Kansas City, Kansas-based founder. “A lot of people…
Perfectly imperfect: Ceramicist pushes into the work, spinning one-of-kind KC storefront
Only two weeks into a college elective course in ceramics, Emily Reinhardt knew her path was designed for pottery — sharing that she quickly fell in love with the extended amount of time and patience it requires. “From start to finish, I’m enamored with the process of ceramics — drying, firing, cooling — and bringing…
