Latest Stories
Professional AF: Diana Kander explores ‘a whole world of content that’s never been touched’
Diana Kander is curious about the world faced by professional women, she said — how female do-ers and leaders uniquely experience life and career building. That curiosity forms a through line for her new podcast interview series, “Professional AF.” “Every episode is about something I want to fix and a lot of them are like…
LEANLAB Education earns $200K grant from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative for public schools research
A $200,000 grant to LEANLAB Education from Mark Zuckerberg’s philanthropic arm will mark the Facebook founder’s first investment in the Kansas City education scene. “We are committed to growing partnerships throughout the country,” said Katie Boody, LEANLAB CEO. “And with the support of [The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative] we aspire to write the playbook for how…
Butterflies and brain waves: KC-area’s Healium floating with WEBBY nomination
A year of traction continues for Columbia-inflated startup Healium by StoryUP. The virtual reality solution for situational stress and anxiety recently landed a WEBBY nomination for best use of augmented reality, revealed Sarah Hill, the company’s founder. “A WEBBY nomination for a small midwest company like ours is a big deal,” Hill said of the…
Doob 3D aims to capitalize on ‘mecca for foot traffic’ with Country Club Plaza pop-up shop
If you build it, they will come. More than a quote from the 1989 blockbuster, “Field of Dreams” — the seven word mantra is what’s pushing Doob 3D to embrace the curve balls of exposing Kansas City to new technology and pinch hit with a new pop-up location on the Country Club Plaza, said Nick Nikkhah….
Mr. K Award finalists: RFP360, KC Bier Co., Charlie Hustle among Chamber’s Top 10 Small Businesses
From one of Kansas City’s most popular breweries to a startup that streamlines the RFP process to an apparel company known for its big heart, 10 small businesses received surprise visits Friday — each now a finalist for the prestigious Mr. K Award. “The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce showered us with confetti today…
New industry-specific LaunchKC accelerators expected to bring more dollars, winners
Applications for this year’s LaunchKC program are going vertical, said Drew Solomon, announcing plans for three industry-specific accelerators — two of which will launch new funding-rich demo days in the fall. “We’ve always wanted to grow and expand not only the competition, but the program as a whole,” said Solomon, chair of the LaunchKC program….
WATCH: Faces of KC entrepreneurship find strength in numbers, community resources
A new video from KCSourceLink highlights the faces of Kansas City entrepreneurship — featuring makers, innovators, tech founders and social entrepreneurs — and their connection to the resource network and ecosystem infrastructure in Kansas City. “It takes very special people to be able to put everything on the line,” says Reggie Gray, executive director of Black…
We Create KC report: Half of top VC-backed companies tapped early-stage support
In 2018, 50 percent of the top venture capital-funded companies in Kansas City got their start with early-stage investment programs that emerged after 2012, according to We Create KC 2019, KCSourceLink’s sixth annual state of entrepreneurship report. “That high percentage shows us how important these early-stage investment programs are to our entrepreneurs and our ecosystem,”…
KCultivator Q&A: Jonathan Bender boils down his talents to curate KC food scene
Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The KCultivator Series is sponsored by Plexpod, a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes. He’s mastered the art of pairing the perfect cookie with the crispest…
Time to see green: 3 startups spring into Digital Sandbox KC proof-of-concept program
The path from concept to commercialization has three reinvigorated travelers this spring, Jeff Shackelford said Thursday, announcing the latest early-stage entrepreneurs to join Digital Sandbox KC. The program’s newly joined startups include a tech-driven legal solution and two companies using artificial intelligence to innovate their industries, said Shackelford, executive director of Digital Sandbox KC. “As…
