Latest Stories
Bracket bash winner nets $50K in pitch doubleheader; three KC startups score spots among final four
Kansas came in clutch Tuesday — doubling the grand prize pool for this week’s Gamechangers and Champions pitch competition just before tipoff. Its jersey-clad winner scored $50,000 and a top seed among investors gathered for the state’s bracket bash for emerging entrepreneurs. “When you’re in a startup business, money never hurts, non-dilutive money even more…
Great Jobs KC secures $680K federal grant to launch 100 women into nontraditional careers
A federal initiative designed to break down modern barriers in high-demand, high-wage industries also honors the historic legacy of women in the workforce, said Karolyn Dreiling, announcing a $680,000 grant to help Great Jobs KC boost apprenticeships. “This grant is a game-changer for women in our community who are ready to break into industries where…
This diehard sports fan is pitching a new platform to get KC’s young athletes paid
NIL deals give student athletes a greater opportunity to financially benefit from their name, image, and likeness while in college, and now Chris Owings wants to extend that opportunity to Kansas City area youth athletes, he shared. “One of the things that really motivated me was when the Royals signed Jac Caglianone,” explained the founder…
KCMO launching ‘Full Tilt Film Festival’ to showcase intersection of sports, film, culture
Six weeks after World Cup visitors wave goodbye, Kansas City is set to welcome sports and entertainment industry executives, celebrities, professional athletes and fans for a new signature event celebrating the art and business of sports storytelling, Mayor Quinton Lucas announced Tuesday. The Full Tilt Film Festival — slated for Aug. 28-29 across various venues…
Iconic KC BBQ spot opening ‘Joe’s Next Door’ in former Taco Republic across the street
A beloved Kansas City barbecue is set to debut a new neighborhood restaurant concept — its first new location in nearly a decade — open every day of the week. The owners of Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que plan to launch Joe’s Next Door in May, in the former Taco Republic complex — just across Mission…
Missouri Startup Weekend back with $45,000 in prizes, $600,000 in potential investment
COLUMBIA, Mo. — A flagship event for the state’s startup ecosystem is returning April 17-19 in a bid to help build Missouri’s next billion-dollar company, said Willy Schlacks, noting it’s a proven launch pad for future unicorns. “We still talk about that original Startup Weekend all the time,” said Schlacks, president and co‑founder of EquipmentShare…
Five-alarm to market: Vegan ice cream maker proves her treats can take the heat of competition
Fresh off a 24-hour shift at the fire station, Zoe Mays — founder of Scream Queens — rode a wave of adrenaline to victory at last week’s Food Biz Con pitch competition. Mays — a poet-turned-firefighter/paramedic-turned-entrepreneur — took home $5,000 for her vegan ice cream pop-up business, which she founded in 2024 after her girlfriend…
Chef J planning Northland BBQ experience: His training was Italian, his passion fire
After six years as a mostly weekend only, lunch-to-sellout barbecue operation in the West Bottoms, Chef J BBQ is ready to give the metro its first traditional outdoor smokehouse restaurant. The new North Kansas City venue will feature live fire, offset smokers set up next to a large outdoor patio where customers can get an…
World Cup prep is writing KC’s history today, leaders say; here’s what they hope will be remembered after the games
Twelve years later, Graham Zusi still gets choked up talking about the emotions he felt after the U.S. soccer team triumphed over Ghana in the FIFA World Cup, and he saw scenes of hometown fans celebrating in the Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City. “For Matt Besler and I — two Kansas City…
From Homebase to homes of the future: Here’s how KC-connected Quext landed its GFiber partnership
When Blake Miller talks about smart buildings, he isn’t theorizing from afar. He’s tracing a line that runs straight through Kansas City — from early smart-city experiments and public Wi-Fi infrastructure to a new partnership with GFiber that aims to reshape how residents experience internet access and daily digital life inside apartment buildings. Miller, founder…
