Latest Stories
Atlanta-based Opportunity Hub announces plans for KC minority accelerator
Opportunity Hub is about building strength in numbers, said Rodney Sampson, a feat that can only be accomplished in Kansas City through inclusive and intentional ecosystem building. “The bottom line is that it takes everybody to be a stakeholder at some level,” said Sampson executive chairman and CEO of Atlanta-based OHUB. “The thesis of a…
Can KC build the next billion-dollar company? ‘We have the internet here too’
Ambitious startups need to believe they can become Kansas City’s next billion-dollar company, said John Thomson, urging confidence — and the ability to roll with the punches — in the face of risk. “Accomplished entrepreneurs who I’ve met … they just did it. Of course it was risky, and it might fail, but they went and…
KC’s MixTape Monkey curates 11 million users through hip hop streaming service
Taking a long sigh, an underground mixtape mogul logs off from a live Q&A session with customers. Inside his two-bedroom downtown Kansas City apartment, Mark Serrano stares out a window overlooking the corner of 12th and Walnut streets. “Online I have this huge community, itʼs overwhelming,” said Serrano, referencing his staggering global user base of…
New home for Back2KC: Kansas City Startup Foundation expands talent pipeline efforts
It’s the Kansas City Startup Foundation’s turn to drive the tour bus, said Darcy Howe, announcing Monday the transfer of the Back2KC talent pipeline initiative to KCSF, the nonprofit ecosystem-building organization that also powers Startland News. The move means KCSF will take ownership of the program for its Oct. 3-4 return, adding a full-time team…
UMKC-powered tech could help visually-impaired Kansas Citians see via artificial intelligence
Gharib Gharibi is driven to succeed by a desire to pay it forward, he said, riding a high from his startup’s first-place, $20,000 win at UMKC’s Regnier Institute Venture Creation Challenge. “They helped us transform our technology from the computer lab to the real world,” Gharibi, founder of DeepLens and a UMKC PhD student, said…
Marshall Dougherty: Just launch already! (Stop polishing the cannonball and love your product)
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Marshall Dougherty is a longtime developer of leaders and teams through his military and investment careers. Knocking down your enemy’s castle in the 15th Century was hard work — nearly impossible, actually. That all changed in the 1450s, however, when a French engineer…
iWerx Gladstone opens, expanding Northland coworking community (Photos)
Northland startups and business owners need more collaborative workplaces to call their own, Bob Martin said less than a year ago. This week, iWerx Gladstone turns that vision into reality. “More than just a place to work, iWerx Gladstone is a business development center committed to making connections and stimulating personal and professional growth,” said…
Look inside (and out): Corrigan Station expansion offers startups skyline views from within Crossroads
Decades have passed since the last new office building opened in the Crossroads Arts District, said Edna Martinson. In a matter of weeks, startups and small businesses can “create their own vibe” when the 22,910-square-foot Corrigan Station expansion project — led by Copaken-Brooks — unlocks its doors and opens them to Kansas City innovators, added Martinson,…
$18M buyout of TomboyX shares shows investing in women pays off, says Women’s Capital Connection
Women are winning in Kansas City, said Kelly Sievers as 24 members of Women’s Capital Connection receive their return from an $18-million buyout of their shares in a Seattle woman’s startup. “They’re getting a great infusion of capital to grow even more and we also still have money in the company because we invested a…
UMKC experts: Self-disruption challenges a modern fashion industry in flux
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Regnier Institute. The opinions expressed in this commentary are the authors’ alone. When thinking of the fashion industry, the first thing that (rightfully) comes to most people’s minds is the final garment on the shelf. However, there are a tremendous number of challenges…
