Rif Raf Giraffe plays matchmaker for buildings, money and artists in Crossroads
Jason Harrington sees opportunity in places often overlooked – alleys, elevator shafts and the sides of brick buildings. For the artist better known as Rif Raf Giraffe, they’re vast canvasses, waiting to be filled with gallons and gallons of paint and passion. Harrington recently traversed the East Crossroads Arts District in search of more real…
Read MoreBlack & Veatch delivers first consumer product ever: Solarhood
After more than 100 years in business, engineering giant Black & Veatch has launched its first consumer product: Solarhood. Built through the B&V Growth Accelerator program, the company created Solarhood to streamline the process for homeowners to tap solar power. The Solarhood mobile and web-based app allow homeowners to access the feasibility of going solar,…
Read MoreTwo KC EdTech startups earn spots in latest LEANLAB cohort; launch set for August
It’s a highly selective process to join the fifth LEANLAB K-12 fellowship, said Katie Boody, but two Kansas City startups made the cut. K12 Perform and Base Academy of Music will join four other cohort members — hailing from the Midwest to Washington D.C. — in the August-to-November EdTech accelerator program. LEANLAB is partnering…
Read MoreHechoKC cast in hand-made image of Chicano artist’s culture, family, community
Witnessing — and participating in — Kansas City’s renaissance has been amazing, said Luis Garcia, the longtime artist behind HechoKC. The Crossroads used to be a ghost town, said Garcia, who has been part of the KC scene since his years at the Kansas City Art Institute. He developed SPYN Studio, a branding and design…
Read MoreQuartet of startups hop into the Digital Sandbox KC
Four early-stage businesses recently entered the Digital Sandbox KC program. The new startups demonstrate the ingenuity Digital Sandbox aims to attract for its grant-funding efforts, said Jeff Shackelford, director of Digital Sandbox KC. “From helping students prepare for college to analyzing voting records to predict legislative outcomes, the startups in the Sandbox are a great…
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