Latest Stories
Mizzou students started making real angel investments from campus a decade ago; now they need more capital
COLUMBIA, Missouri — The college-aged leaders of Mizzou’s AACE Venture Fund are learning as they go: not just how to invest in real startups across the region, but how to make the university’s long-running student investment program sustainable. “We’re having real-world experiences — such as getting on the phone with founders, doing due diligence and…
A new credit union on Prospect aims to be the pebble that causes a ripple effect east of Troost
‘Moving individuals out of that payday loan cycle into a banking cycle’ The recent opening of a new credit union with a mission to serve residents of Kansas City’s east side marks a key milestone along “a long road” to build generational wealth for those historically disadvantaged. Since 2007, Dee Evans has been part of…
Facility Ally raises $700K to take its sports venue, ‘eatertainment’ SAAS platform national
Facility Ally, a sports facility and “eatertainment” management software company, has closed a $700,000 pre-seed funding round led by Slabotsky Family Office. The funds are expected to be used to build out Facility Ally’s development, sales and marketing teams. For sports facilities and leagues, Facility Ally provides a central hub for reservations, memberships, payment, waivers…
Healium augments funding with $3.6M seed round, adds Mayo Clinic deal
Healium, a virtual and augmented reality biofeedback company, announced Monday one of the largest private equity raises for a women-owned business in mid-Missouri history. The startup — which transforms bio-data from any fitness tracker into immersive, reactive media — has also entered into a know-how license agreement with Mayo Clinic. A “virtual firefly release” using mobile…
Influencer vows to ‘keep it smooth’ amid TikTok career highs, family health lows
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Spark MHK, a non-profit, community-based hub of programming and networks designed to connect entrepreneurs, startups and small business owners to each other and the larger ecosystem in the Greater Manhattan area. Click here to read the original story. The day JahVelle Rhone learned he’d been accepted to TikTok’s 100…
Hot biskuits on the rise: Classically-trained chef brings long lines, culture, collaboration to North KC
Guroux Khalifa had $150 to his name when he set out to serve the best biscuits Kansas City ever tasted, he shared. “A lot of painstaking work, time, love and passion has been put into creating this amazing product. The people who really understand the value and quality of that product have stuck around and…
Dolphin Tank makes a splash with women in tech: Meet the next three founders pitching
The Dolphin Tank pitch showcase returns to Kansas City this month with a trio of women-led tech startups riding a wave of heightened exposure for their ventures. Now in its second year in Kansas City, Springboard Enterprises’ Dolphin Tank is set for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Polsinelli, 900 W. 48th…
Chiefs celebration turned much of downtown KC into a parking lot; Startups along the parade route got to work, joined the party
Prime locations along the Chiefs championship parade gave several local startups an opportunity to celebrate with their team members and families Wednesday as traffic and business largely came to a halt across midtown and downtown Kansas City. “It’s not every day Chiefs players are walking the streets out front and waving at our team in…
KC’s first Black-owned brewery could open within weeks; Here’s how its debut lager could land in your hand even sooner
Vine Street Brewing’s long-anticipated opening is nearly here, said Kemet Coleman, teasing a late March first pour for the taproom and brewhouse space, which sits adjacent to the city’s historic jazz district. “It’s crazy to see something that for so long has been just an idea in our minds starting to become real,” said Coleman,…
Fashion meets cannabis: This KS-engineered, on-the-go rolling station blocks odors, makes smoking prep safer
Missouri voters legalized it; now cannabis accessories can cleanup in a newly de-stigmatized market A Kansas City cannabis lifestyle brand hopes this month’s legalization of recreational marijuana sales in Missouri will spark new interest in its products designed for on-the-go cannabis users, said Mohamed Dia. Gopack Station markets itself as “fashion meets cannabis,” said Dia,…
