Latest Stories
A chip on former Mizzou receiver Tommy Saunders’ shoulder fuels his fitness tech firm
Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by LaunchKC but independently produced by Startland News. “This is for everyone who doubted me.” That’s a phrase Tommy Saunders has been saying to himself for years. Saunders said it after being denied scholarship offers and earned a walk-on spot as a wide receiver for the University of Missouri….
Young KC entrepreneurs to learn from veteran innovators Fishback, Costello
Young entrepreneurs in the area are set to cultivate their skills with an upcoming event connecting them with successful Kansas City business leaders. On Nov. 14, HatchPad Engage! Kansas City will host a panel, fireside chat and pitch competition geared toward entrepreneurial youth that are still in school or are recent graduates. HatchPad CEO Heather…
Why and how is Dairy Farmers of America working with startups?
When it comes to operations driving innovation, dairy farms probably don’t come to mind. But that’s precisely what Kansas City’s largest private employer — Dairy Farmers of America — is doing with its move to partner with the revamped Sprint Accelerator in 2017. DFA is among four corporations syncing up with the program in…
Meet the leaders driving Black & Veatch’s entrepreneurial revival
In June, Kansas City construction giant Black & Veatch kicked off an effort to accelerate new, innovative ideas by adopting a concept common among startups. The Overland Park-based corporation launched the B&V Growth Accelerator, which hopes to challenge the global firm’s traditional methods of generating and launching ideas. Black & Veatch — which works with…
One Kansas City startup survives national Kauffman contest
After about a month of public deliberation, the 1 in a Million pitch competition has narrowed participating startups down to a top five — and one hails from Kansas City. Although five area companies advanced to the top 40, The Grooming Project is last startup standing from Kansas City. A panel of Kauffman fellows will…
Not in Kansas anymore: Mycroft opens Kansas City, Silicon Valley offices
Editor’s note: This content is sponsored by LaunchKC but independently produced by Startland News. After a recent seed round that was topped off with a $50,000 LaunchKC grant, artificial intelligence startup Mycroft is moving from Lawrence to the City of Fountains. Mycroft — which developed an open-source, artificial intelligence device similar to Amazon Echo — not…
AOL founder Steve Case says innovators must become policy savvy
Get familiar with public policy or your company will get left behind. That was the forward-looking message that AOL founder Steve Case had for a group of about 200 investors and entrepreneurs at the 2016 Kauffman Fellows summit in Kansas City. Now the CEO of Revolution, Case argued that investors, entrepreneurs and policymakers will have…
Venture capitalist Keith Harrington opens up on KC investment culture
For most of the 200 Kauffman Fellows attending the Reunion VC Summit, it is their first time visiting Kansas City. To help them get a taste of the metro’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, Keith Harrington, Kauffman fellow and partner at Kansas City-based Fulcrum Global Capital, presented some cultural highlights at the summit Tuesday. Like many Midwestern cities,…
Events Preview: American Royal Tech BBQ
There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter, or curious Kansas Citian, we recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW KC Roundtable When: October 27 @ 7:30am – 9:00am Where: Eggtc KC Roundtable is in existence to provide 20 and…
KC founders share their stories of building a great Midwest company
It’s not the flashiest locale, but the Midwest is a ripe area in which to grow a global business, a group Kansas City entrepreneurs argued Monday. During the Kauffman Fellows summit, four Kansas City business leaders made the case that you don’t have to be on the coasts to build a thriving company. The…
