Lifted Spirits teases expansion, recipe for its quirky cocktail of success: Math plus intuition
After noticing more than a decade ago how distillation and cocktails enhanced his own friendship groups, Michael Stuckey set out to create that same sense of community for others. “I fell in love with the idea of spirits first; this idea that spirits were inherently about bringing people together,” said Stuckey, founder of Lifted Spirits…
Read MoreBlack Pantry expands nationally through online shop; founder works to set new standard for buying Black
Kansas City’s premier boutique for Black-owned essentials always had its sights set on building a national identity, said Brian Roberts, but he needed to prove himself and his business on the local level first. “A lot of people were pushing me in the beginning to go the website direction, but I didn’t want to do…
Read MoreFederal funds will power Missouri investments for the next 8 years; here’s how your startup can apply
Applications are now open for a popular state-run co-investment program that can provide up to a $2 million equity-based investment in Missouri-based companies that have identified a lead investor for the round. The revived Venture Capital Program and specifically IDEA Fund Co-Investment Programs — coordinated by the Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC) — will be largely funded…
Read MoreLaunchKC finalists: Meet 13 tech startups vying for six $50K grants in rebooted competition
A revived LaunchKC grants competition is set to return in mid-November with more than a dozen companies vying for $300,000 in non-dilutive funding. Finalists were announced Friday. The 13 Kansas City companies selected to compete Nov. 15 were narrowed from more than 90 applicants, said Becca Castro, strategic initiatives manager at the Economic Development Corporation…
Read MoreMushroom lover finds the perfect spot to hunt: Her own warehouse in North Kansas City
Robin Moore loves to cook with mushrooms, but she couldn’t always find the variety — like Lion’s Mane — she wanted at Kansas City stores. So she started growing them herself; ultimately turning the surplus into her own small business. “I’ve researched and kind of taught myself,” said the founder of MyCo Planet, who initially…
Read More