GEW hopes to spark innovation, connections among entrepreneurs

Global Entrepreneurship Week is about helping businesses that start in Kansas City stay in Kansas City, Jenny Miller said. And it’s for more than the traditional “startup” crowd, the network builder at KCSourceLink said. “GEWKC connects people who may not identify as ‘entrepreneurs’ – those who may think of themselves as makers, creators, freelancers, artists,…

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Hip hop entrepreneur: Rap stardom isn’t the only way to a paycheck

Kartez Marcel Addison

Music is everything, Kartez Marcel said. It’s an avenue to express anger and hurt in a positive way. It’s a way to heal. And for aspiring entrepreneurs, it’s an opportunity to earn a paycheck even if they aren’t destined for on-stage superstardom, said Marcel, a Kansas City rapper and hip hop industry mentor. “Everybody wants…

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FAQ: Is it all hype? Tunneling into Missouri’s chances for Hyperloop

Virgin Hyperloop One might seem like a pipe dream. But the prospect of Kansas Citians reaching St. Louis in only 23 minutes is more realistic than many think. In fact, according to recent reports, Missouri has at least a 20 percent chance at landing Hyperloop, a yet-to-be-realized transportation system that moves people and freight at…

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CEO: Infusion Express $13.5M round proves realistic investment can come to KC

When Kansas City-based Infusion Express closed a $13.5 million Series B round earlier this month with McKesson Ventures as its lead investor, the move wasn’t a fluke, Don Peterson said. “If you build something really great, the money will find you,” said Peterson, CEO of Infusion Express. “I didn’t call McKesson, they called me. When…

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What KC’s startup community can learn from Leonardo da Vinci

Walter Isaacson, da Vinci and the Vitruvian Man

Why is the sky blue? Modern-day scientists know it’s because of the way the sun interacts with air molecules when sunlight enters the Earth’s atmosphere. In Leonardo da Vinci’s time, however, the answer wasn’t so clear. He questioned assumptions of the day, even those that seemed simple. “It’s that type of always asking ‘Why?’ that…

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