Latest Stories
Digital Sandbox KC nabs $950K to continue regional startup impact
Already with a lasting legacy of growing the area entrepreneurial ecosystem, Digital Sandbox KC has received significant support that should fuel its program for years to come. The proof-of-concept incubator was recently awarded a combined $950,000 — $450,000 from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and $500,000 from the Missouri Technology Corporation. The two grants will…
Victor Hwang: Individual entrepreneurs hold the key to making America great again
Victor Hwang posed a riddle to a TEDx crowd gathered in Georgia. What five-letter word was overlooked during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign and almost never mentioned by the candidates or at the party conventions? The answer is rooted in overcoming inequality, said Hwang, vice president of entrepreneurship for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. “I’m…
Startup newbie: How researching entrepreneurship in Medellin led me to Kansas City
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. When my wife Megan and I visited Kansas City this past January as part of our “city shopping tour,” there was much that impressed us and led to our decision to make it our new home. In many respects, we chose Kansas City…
Buildings and bus stops: Rebecca Tombaugh paints KC — sometimes with a stick
A lack of clear direction felt liberating as Rebecca Tombaugh unrolled a 12-foot piece of heavy paper in her backyard and got to work, she said. The 59-year-old artist had been tasked with painting a mural of sorts for the Nonprofit Village, a coworking spot that soon would open at 31 W. 31st Street. It’s…
KC-based PatientsVoices pulls $150K in first round of seed capital, additional $75K from MTC
Competing for a spot in a Nashville-based health tech accelerator, PatientsVoices landed its first round of seed capital — with a booster shot from the State of Missouri. A $150,000 innovation grant from Jumpstart Foundry investment group represents a leap forward for PatientsVoices, headquartered in iWerx’s North Kansas City entrepreneurial development center, said founder and…
Beyond buzzwords: Foxtrot Supply mounts protest of an increasingly online-only world
A large butcher block table stands between the owners of Foxtrot Supply Co. and its customers. But the found-object centerpiece of their Crossroads store is meant as a meeting place, not a barrier, said Ryan Hetu. “It’s alluring, inviting and kind of vulnerable,” the Foxtrot co-founder explained. Stitched into the high-traffic fabric of First Fridays…
Peek inside: Made in KC Marketplace offers a glimpse of its new Plaza store (Photos)
Amid the bustle of traffic and construction in one of Kansas City’s most dominant shopping destinations, the Made in KC Marketplace has quietly been taking shape on the Country Club Plaza. The retailer — which specializes in showcasing wares crafted by local makers — opened the doors of its new location with little fanfare this…
iWerx Gladstone to expand Northland coworking, incubator options in former racquetball club
Two years after launching its sprawling flagship site in North Kansas City, a premiere coworking community is expected to debut iWerx Gladstone in late fall. The two-story, 32,000-square-foot space — originally built as a racquetball club and renovated into a traditional office building in the mid 1980s — will be home to about 80 offices,…
STL exit: Welltodo founder credits firm’s acquisition to early support from KC startup community
With the final deal still in the works Friday, Chris Cardinal said the acquisition of St. Louis-based Welltodo by SensorRX wouldn’t have been possible without the pre-seed rallying of his fellow entrepreneurs in Kansas City. Though the company moved across the state in 2016 to be closer to the co-founder’s in-laws, Cardinal said, the foundation for…
Simplifying access: PayIt teams with KCK Unified Government for enhanced myWyco app
Interacting with state and local government can and should be seamless, said Monica Harrell of PayIt, a KC tech firm that partnered its statewide iKan app with Wyandotte County’s myWyco app to create enhanced access for residents. “It’s a more streamlined experience,” said Harrell, senior client manager for Payit, “Especially because residents are not usually…
