Latest Stories
This weekend only: Festive balloon wonderland inflates holiday spirit at 18th and Vine
More than 125,000 biodegradable balloons are lifting holiday spirits this weekend in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District. The Big Balloon Build — an international festival — is popping up Dec. 2-4 at the Gregg/Klice Community Center. Led by Peyton Westfall and Darren Huffman of Kansas City’s Pop Culture Sculptures, more than 70 balloon…
Hollywood Animation Academy secures home at Centriq; set to begin first classes in January
Hollywood Animation Academy is leaping from the drawing board to live action in January with its first group of enrolled students. Founded by veteran director and animator Gavin Dell, the trade school is set to prepare students for jobs in the film, gaming, and television industry. Dell, an Overland Park native, returned to Kansas City…
KC duo opens candy shop at Mizzou, bringing familiar flavors to students far from home
COLUMBIA, Missouri — A pair of Mizzou students from the Kansas City area are providing international students on campus with a taste of home. Kogo’s Kandies sells candy and treats from other countries, with the goal of fostering a more inclusive campus environment at the University of Missouri, said co-founders Jacob Burrell-Kogo and Henry Accardo….
Custom digital avatar tech, affordable housing startup among Scale’s third cohort
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. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. COLUMBIA,…
Vytelle doubles its bovine IVF lab capacity; outpacing goals since its $13.2M round
A five-year plan initiated by Vytelle’s Series A funding round called for the agtech startup to double its laboratory capacity to produce bovine embryos through in vitro fertilization. Just a year later, the Lenexa-headquarted company already has opened its fifth new lab. Vytelle’s latest facility — in Franklin, Tennessee — is accessible to beef and dairy…
Feds award KCK college $745K+ to boost 30 low-income STEM students working toward biology degrees
A National Science Foundation grant is expected to support the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income STEM students, said U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, announcing the award. Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) is set to receive $745,635 to fund scholarships — over the next five years — for 30 full-time students who are pursuing a…
How this homegrown leader is steering a $2B Australian startup’s KC HQ (and 100+ workers) deeper into the Americas
Kylie Uvodich quickly wondered if she’d made a mistake after joining SafetyCulture in 2017, she said. “When I first came over [to SafetyCulture], I thought, ‘What the hell am I getting myself into? I’ll sit here and learn some things for a couple months, and then I’ll get on to my next thing,’” Uvodich recalled….
CoMo Startup Weekend winner closes $750K seed round; EquipmentShare co-founder joins executive team
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. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. COLUMBIA,…
Make48 reality TV series plans maker competition at School for the Blind in KCK
Make48 might be entering its sixth season, but the Kansas City-based, maker-focused reality series is still evolving, said Tom Gray. For the first time, the Make48 competition is set to take place in the makerspace at the Kansas State School for the Blind in Kansas City, Kansas. The teams in this year’s last City Series…
Three Dog Bakery fetches exclusive deal with pet food distributor, its national pawprint
A leading pet product distributor serving retailers across the nation has begun exclusive wholesale distribution of Three Dog Bakery’s packaged treats in all of its distribution centers. The wholesale deal means the company’s treats will be serviced by Phillips Pet Food & Supplies. It does not apply to fresh-baked treats from the popular local brand….
