Latest Stories
‘If you don’t own yourself, you own nothing’: Why one founder says he’ll relocate his business if Kansas bans abortion
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series on the 2022 election produced by the KC Media Collective, an initiative designed to support and enhance local journalism. Members of the KC Media Collective include Startland News, Missouri Business Alert, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, KCUR, The Kansas City Beacon and American Public Square. Andrew Morgans has…
Shop Local KC gets minimalist makeover as local maker retailer opens Leawood store
Katie Mabry van Dieren is no stranger to the Ranch Mart Shopping Center in Leawood, the Shop Local KC owner said, returning to her roots this weekend to open a second location for her Kansas City maker retail store. “One of my greatest childhood memories was riding my bike to Ranch Mart and either getting…
KC wants to be the nation’s most equitable hub for biologics; prestigious MIT pick could help
Biologics is the entryway to personalized medicine, said Sonia Hall, and Kansas City is aiming to create the most inclusive hub for the development, production and distribution of biologics as part of its acceptance to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program. “When you talk about personalized medicine, you’re talking about greater equity…
PropTechHD looks beyond the façade of drone use to see sky-high potential for capturing high-quality data
A lot can go wrong when flying a drone around a high-rise building, acknowledged Andrew Patch. Think restricted airspace, pigeons, hawks, turbulence, swirling winds, pressure changes, trees, powerlines, and other unexpected obstacles. But behind the sticks of a controller, Patch steers into the challenge. In February 2017, he founded Heartland Drone Company, an Federal Aviation…
Hack Midwest is back with $20K in prizes, space for tech talent to flex app-building muscles
More than prize money is on the line when Hack Midwest returns this weekend to Kansas City, Michael Gelphman said, detailing how the contest could ignite progress in the local tech ecosystem. “We can get people to think entrepreneurially and create new ideas,” said Gelphman, the competition’s founder, noting the power and potential of the…
GiftAMeal posts food selfie milestone: 1 million meals donated through Missouri-made app
Foodie photos shared to social media through a Missouri tech startup’s app have provided more than 1 million meals — representing more than 1.2 million pounds of healthy groceries for families in need — thanks to GiftAMeal’s network of restaurant and food bank partnerships, the company said. St. Louis-based GiftAMeal this week announced the milestone donation…
Survival gets the wheels turning: Why this founder sold his home and belongings for a new pro journey
An entrepreneur who’s gained a following with his homegrown wrestling company and deeply personal cancer survival story is hitting the road — hoping to change perspectives about the disease by engaging and uplifting others who are fighting or affected by the disease. “It’s so easy to ignore something like brain cancer when it is seen…
Passion project set in stone: 2000 Vine Street’s ‘cultural inheritance’ is 150 years in the making
Editor’s note: This story is the first in a series from Startland News highlighting entrepreneurs, businesses, and creators leading revitalization and redevelopment efforts in and around the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District. Click here to read additional stories from this series. The revitalization of the two oldest public works buildings in Kansas City, abandoned…
KC, Wichita investors, new backers boost Novel Capital’s efforts to break down funding barriers
Additional funders have joined a seed extension round to help Novel Capital accelerate growth for B2B predictable revenue companies, the company announced Monday, noting further investment by KCRise Fund and Wichita-based Tenzing Capital. Novel Capital’s latest funding round was led by Ulu Ventures, with additional participation from MatterScale and Edovate Capital, as well as its…
Sister pitmasters of Jones Bar-B-Q, made famous by Queer Eye, are selling their restaurant
Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. After Thursday’s lunch rush, Mary “Shorty” Jones and her sister, Deborah “Little” Jones stood outside of their beloved Jones Bar-B-Q, waving at the…
