Latest Stories
Only made in KC: Sandlot Goods revives iconic ‘KC hat’ with 25-step, felt-to-field production
The classic, Baldwin-style KC hat is back in the game — boasting a newly drafted team of makers and a modern twist on its otherwise traditional look, Sandlot Goods announced. “With most major hat manufacturers moving their production overseas, there is a space and a need for a classic, American-made ball cap,” said Chad Hickman, founder…
Fur-miliar faces: Teacher-turned-entrepreneur captures pet personalities through custom art
Combining her love for art and animals, Chris Bohannon is happily letting pets and passion guide her entrepreneur journey. “I absolutely adore animals,” said Bohannon, the artist behind Artist KC — a Waldo-based small business specializing in custom pet art. “I am a crazy cat lady. I love dogs. I think hedgehogs are super weird…
GEWKC conversation: Black women are building tech — but are we building them?
A coalition of organizations working to connect early-stage founders to critical resources — with an emphasis on equitable access — is shining the spotlight on Black women in tech during this week’s premier entrepreneurship event series, Global Entrepreneurship Week Kansas City. “Black women are launching businesses at the fastest clip of any racial group. Despite…
InnovaPrep CEO honored as an ‘inspiration’ among Pipeline fellows
COVID-19 couldn’t stop the steady flow of innovation through the Pipeline Entrepreneurs Fellowship. The organization crowned a series of winners through its (virtual) Innovator Awards on Thursday — a testament to its commitment to entrepreneurs weathering unprecedented times, said David Alburty. “Pipeline has been absolutely mission-critical in my evolution as a scaling CEO,” Alburty, CEO of…
KCMO mayor: New ‘slowdown’ rules for businesses as COVID intensifies across metro
Kansas City residents and workers are safer at home, Mayor Quinton Lucas said Monday, announcing new KCMO guidelines aimed at mitigating the spread of the Coronavirus and decreasing the strain on the region’s hospitals and health care workers. Lucas also urged families to cancel “the normal version of their Thanksgiving plans.” “Like many, I have…
Entrepreneurs’ intellectual property rights: This is where things get tricky
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary — the first 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. For many new businesses,…
From the Big Apple to the Heartland: A fresh set of eyes sees why KC is poised for growth
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Tristan Mace is an advisor to early-stage ventures, investment funds, and Fortune 500 companies, an occasional guest professor at The University of Texas, former corporate venture capitalist for Merck and AXA and a serial tech entrepreneur. Click here to read more about his…
Can I do it? New online tool helps users assess risk, make COVID-smart decisions about activities in KC
As a second wave of COVID-19 cases bear down on the nation, Kansas Citians have a new tool on their side to help them assess risk of exposure in everyday activities. Created as part of a partnership between pandemic-born resources, Comeback KC and COVID Can I Do It (CCIDI) touted the tool — branded “KC…
BacklotCars completes historic $425M exit, joining ‘power and fierce entrepreneurial spirit’ of KAR Global
The $425 million acquisition of Kansas City-based BacklotCars is complete, nearly two months to the day it was announced. “There is so much energy and excitement around this combination with our employees and with our customers,” Justin Davis, president and co-founder of BacklotCars, said in a release announcing the milestone acquisition’s completion Thursday by KAR…
From Aussie garage to unicorn: How SafetyCulture continues its climb in an ever-changing environment
Starting from humble beginnings, SafetyCulture earned its membership in the Australian unicorn club this year with a $1.3 billion valuation, said Nick Topping. “Our CEO and founder Luke Anear actually founded the company [in 2004] out of his garage in Townsville, Australia,” said Topping, who leads the marketing and business development teams in the Americas…
