Latest Stories
Grit Road plants $11M venture fund to cultivate homegrown ag tech solutions across Midwest
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. OMAHA — The precision guide for Grit Road Partners — a Nebraska-based venture fund — is investing in ag tech companies that are solving Midwest producer problems, said Mike Jung,…
KC nonprofit wants to change the face of tech (without leaving its students in debt)
Editor’s note: The following story was sponsored by Resiliency at Work 2.0 Career and Technical Education, a Kansas City-based organization focused on creating and increasing equitable opportunities through education and training for careers in the technically skilled workforce. Dr. Joy Vann-Hamilton set out to close the diversity gap in the tech workforce; her work through…
Proof is in the spending: CEO-to-CEO Challenge yields results in diversifying supply chains
Editor’s note: The following story was sponsored by KC Rising, a regional initiative to help Kansas City grow faster and more intentionally, as part of a campaign to promote its CEO-to-CEO Challenge on supplier diversity. When she started researching the institutional knowledge at MMC Corp. about working with diverse suppliers, national purchasing director Kelli Fraas found the process was…
Her new role is reenvisioning one of KC’s most iconic events for entrepreneurs; how Callie England is shaking up GEW
Callie England misses the life of an entrepreneur, she shared, but her new role with the UMKC Innovation Center — and GEWKC — allows her to stay in the game without being on the field. As of January, the veteran Kansas City startup founder is responsible for managing the branding and marketing initiatives of the…
Sand volleyball tourney for early-career professions works to ‘Spike the Stigma’ on mental health
Joining the workforce is no walk on the beach, said Mark Potts, but give him and his teammates a few hours in the sun and sand on a Saturday afternoon and it could be. “Nobody is on their journey alone,” said Potts, president of the Go Further Foundation, explaining the organization’s purpose and its goal…
Sailes closes $5.1M investment round led by STL firm, with KCRise Fund, Wichita VC
The foundation for Sailes has always been solving difficult problems for sales teams, said Nick Smith; the success of a Series A funding round for the startup will power new tools toward that goal. “Everyone is on this AI hype train, and we’ve been for AI for a while. But it’s not just about using…
EquipmentShare completes another $150M equity raise, building on its Series E funding
COLUMBIA, Missouri — The latest tranche of funding for EquipmentShare puts mid-Missouri’s most earth-moving scaleup close to a half-billion dollars in funding announced over the past six months. EquipmentShare, a Columbia-based equipment and digital solutions provider serving the construction industry, on Wednesday announced it completed an extension of its Series E equity raise, led by funds…
Tesseract Ventures illuminates its work with US military, lighting new alert system for air force base
A new military contract showcases Tesseract Ventures’ versatility and sophistication in the national security tech space, said John Boucard, touting the Overland Park-based company’s cutting-edge Alert Route Lighting System planned for MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. “Tesseract continues its focused mission to revolutionize the way people live, work, and play by developing state-of-the-art technologies…
Anonymous donor makes $50M commitment to KU School of Business; largest gift in school history
LAWRENCE — A hefty anonymous donation is expected to transform business education and research at the KU School of Business, said Paige Fields, noting the $50 million commitment will also provide funds to advance key initiatives supporting undergraduate student success. “This transformative gift supports the School of Business’ ongoing commitment to excellence in research and…
Why the KC Pioneers refuse to stay in their lane; esports league teams with Kansas Speedway for weekend event
First they watched from stadium seats at the speedway, then from pit road. Now the fans-turned collaborators at the KC Pioneers are on track with one of their biggest partners to date: NASCAR. Kansas City’s premiere esports league has teamed up with the Kansas Speedway to bring traditional racing and esports gaming into the same…
