Latest Stories
Code Ninjas uses karate format to punch into KC youth STEM scene
Students often want more than their schools can offer, said Jason Hansen, of Code Ninjas. For some, that’s competitive sports teams or specialty athletics, he said. Others yearn for greater STEM-based learning opportunities — like those offered at Hansen’s Leawood center. “It’s just like you might have a dance studio, or a baseball academy,” Hansen…
Landlocked, Marknology startups ‘killing it on Amazon,’ KC founder says
Landlocked is a brand many Kansas Citians recognize on sight, founder Andrew Morgans said. Marknology is the behind-the-scenes engine that sells it. While his dual companies — an apparel startup known for its popular hybrid pennant tee and a bootstrapped digital marketing firm specializing in Amazon sales — complement one another, the pairing is an…
Lula raises $420K, fueling expansion of home service offerings
A $420,000 funding round from Kansas City area investors will accelerate tech startup Lula to expand in Kansas City and soon two more large metros, CEO and founder Bo Lais said. The Overland Park-based firm is eyeing Phoenix and Dallas as its next service areas, but it first plans to focus on marketing its on-demand…
April Boyd-Noronha: 99 Prospect among coolest minority-owned KC STEM startups
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. My columns this month will feature four minority-owned STEM businesses in the Kansas City metro. The cool thing about each of these businesses? They include at least one (if not more) aspect of the STEM concept — science, technology, engineering, and math. To…
Level Office puts coworking space on tap in former law building (Photos)
Windows from the community coworking space in Level Office’s seven-floor Kessler Building offer an up-close view of the Jackson County Courthouse, Sprint Center and downtown Kansas City. That proximity to the 16th Circuit Court, the court of appeals and the Jackson County Detention Center makes Chicago-based Level Office a magnet for men and women in…
Former Netchemia CEO, KC venture capitalist launch new fund for Midwest software firms
Keith Harrington isn’t looking for hockey-stick growth companies. With the new fund he’s co-leading — Novel Growth Partners — Harrington wants to invest in small, steadily-growing tech companies in the Midwest. But instead of a traditional venture capital model, Novel is employing a revenue-based finance model that should appeal to more entrepreneurs, Harrington said. “We believe that…
1 Million Cups celebrating black startups with all black founders, experts in February
A lineup of all black presenters and experts at February’s 1 Million Cups events aims for exposure and awareness about Kansas City’s thriving community of black entrepreneurs, said Adrienne Haynes. “Many of these companies are not necessarily tech-based. They might not be at Plexpod or WeWork. Many of them have their own facilities — maybe…
Listen: Behind the scenes interview with Hyperloop One exec on Missouri plan
By now you’ve likely seen that Missouri is a top five favorite to land a Virgin Hyperloop One route. If built in Missouri, the tubular transportation system would move people from Kansas City to St. Louis in 30 minutes, creating a mega-region that combines the state’s biggest cities, said Dan Katz, director of global public…
ScaleUP! KC expands impact with 18 entrepreneurs in latest class
In announcing its latest class, the ScaleUP! KC incubator embraced its track record of helping Kansas City entrepreneurs develop the business skills needed to take the next steps on their journeys. Now on its seventh cohort, the program has graduated 92 business owners, including startups like The Sundry, Ruby Jean’s Juicery, Cambrian Tech, H3 Enterprises…
CEO Raina Knox: Millennials don’t have a monopoly on startup momentum
Experience matters — even in an ecosystem built upon disrupting the status quo, said Raina Knox, CEO and co-founder of Stratex Solutions. “It’s uncomfortable for some in the startup community to embrace the concept of people with portfolio careers still having a meaningful impact,” she said, noting her lengthy career as a “fixer” in the…
