C2FO’s advice: Seek global capital, local startup partners (Top VC-Backed event photos)
Leawood-based fintech powerhouse C2FO didn’t raise nearly $300 million in capital by accident, nor without a strategy for selecting the right investors, Kerri Thurston told a crowd of founders, executives and investors gathered to celebrate the startups on Startland’s list of Kansas City’s Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies in 2019. “Focus on folks who can really…
Read MoreKCultivator Q&A: Kathryn Golden risks it all to laugh at life (but roommates are no joke)
Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The KCultivator Series is sponsored by Plexpod, a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes. A spoonful of sugar couldn’t help Kathryn Golden stomach the oddities she…
Read MoreDC-based digital SWAT team descends on KC as Social Driver for mission-based clients
From being included in selfies to getting tagged on social media posts, carving a digital footprint is the best way for social movements to gain traction, said Thomas Sanchez, CEO and co-founder of Social Driver. “We are the digital heavy hitters. I always kind of talk about us as almost being like the SWAT team…
Read MoreEgo gets you in trouble — open ears get you business, UMKC E-Scholars mentor says
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Regnier Institute, but was independently produced by Startland News. If ego runs the show, a founder won’t succeed, Jene’ Hong said as she cracked jokes laced with straightforward advice. “If we have a big ego, we can’t listen to other people and that’s…
Read MoreReport: Kansas, Missouri economies hinge on homegrown startups, not border war wins
Kansas and Missouri must “grow from within” if the neighboring states aim to successfully confront structural challenges that face their economies, said Amy Liu, a contributor at national think tank the Brookings Institution. The “historic handshake” between Govs. Laura Kelly, D-Kansas, and Mike Parson, R-Missouri, earlier this month marked the symbolic end to an ongoing…
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