Missouri could put $1M back into startup support after COVID killed most-recent funding
A budget plan released this week by Gov. Mike Parson includes a $1 million allocation for the Missouri Technology Corporation — a popular public-private initiative boosting startups that saw its investment efforts defunded last year because of COVID-19-related shortfalls. “It is important that we continue to follow through on key investments in workforce development and infrastructure,”…
Read MoreBetaBlox relaunching its popular demo day as part of documentary-style reality TV show
BetaBlox is adding more reality to its demo day — pushing the entrepreneur incubator’s hotly anticipated event to the summer and retooling the format as documentary-style vignettes that feed into casting for a full-season reality TV show. “This opportunity is a win-win-win,” said Weston Bergmann, founder and lead investor at BetaBlox, in a message to entrepreneurs…
Read MorePipeline pitch winner sells practical business moves (and leather) with socially conscious ethos
Brooke Mullen’s ability to pivot with silky smooth ease helped the Lincoln entrepreneur build a bridge to surging revenue in 2020, as well as win best pitch Thursday during a showcase of Pipeline’s latest fellowship class. “With a lot of our business being direct-to-consumer and actual live events, we had to completely change as all…
Read MoreMeet 20 scaling companies making the leap with ScaleUP! KC’s latest small biz cohort
Successfully scaling entrepreneurs take the time to work on their businesses — rather than just in them, Jill Hathaway said, emphasizing the transformative power ScaleUP! Kansas City brings to the 20 top-tier business owners newly participating in its 11th cohort. “This intensive program has had a profound impact on the small businesses it serves during the…
Read More‘Nerds’ need value: Midwest trio connects global fintech players through virtual summit
Fintech workers and industry innovators are starving for human connection amid a crazy 10 months of COVID and a pandemic’s-worth of dull virtual events, said Zach Anderson Pettet. “All of us nerds in our specific space — being financial services and financial technology — haven’t been able to congregate, so there’s been a lot of…
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