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Getting the style just right for actor Harry Belafonte was a challenge for Warren "Stylez" Harvey. Belafonte portrayed the gangster Seldom Seen from Robert Altman's 1996 film "Kansas City"; photo by Julie Denesha

Warren ‘Stylez’ Harvey paints film legends set for induction into KC’s new Black Movie Hall of Fame

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. Making careful brush strokes, Warren “Stylez” Harvey uses bold shades of blue in his bright Midtown studio. He’s painting a young…

BUBBA Tidal Rods

Missouri-caught outdoor brand angles for bait-to-plate allure with non-slip grip fishing rods

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,…

Garrett Amundsen, "Once Upon A Startup," and Parker Graham, Finotta

‘How a startup becomes a superstar’: Finotta launches real-time podcast as KU freshman gets inside the mind of its founder

Most business podcasts tell the stories of those who have reached massive success, Garrett Amundsen said, but Finotta’s premier podcast is set to flip the switch — sharing the fintech startup’s journey as it unfolds. “When people listen to our podcast, they’re going to be able to track the success and growth of the company…

Co-founders Cornell Gorman, Christopher “LOKC” Stewart, and Brandon Calloway, Generating Income For Future Generations (G.I.F.T.), cut the ribbon of the nonprofit's new business center on Prospect Avenue

A gift for KC’s East Side: Business center beats developers to Prospect, offering one-stop shop for entrepreneurs

A new full-service business center and coworking space on Prospect Avenue will do more than just fill the former Blue Hills Community Services building — better fulfilling its goal to create a clear path to economic prosperity and wealth, said Brandon Calloway. “It’s always been the right time for a business center to open on…

Velodyne Lidar team at the SXSW Innovation Awards in Austin

Innovative tech honored at SXSW has potential to save lives in KC, govtech founder says

Editor’s note: The following story is part of Startland News’ coverage of the SXSW conference in Austin. Click here to read more stories from the 2022 trip. AUSTIN — A tech company from Silicon Valley’s largest city is unleashing a new era of smart infrastructure technology for the world in motion — and Kansas City…

Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Dabney Coleman in a promotional photo for "9 to 5"; photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox

‘9 to 5’ exposed sexism, toxic gender roles at work; 40 years later, has much changed beyond the price of a cup of ambition?

Editor’s note: The following story is part of Startland News’ coverage of the SXSW conference in Austin. Click here to read more stories from the 2022 trip. The minds of women and marginalized employees are still being used without credit more than 40 years after Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda starred in a…

Weedbot 2.0 by Greenfield Robotics

This new agrobot could be the future of farming: chemical-free and swarming in a field near you

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. Harvesting…

David Biga, Particle Space; Shelley Cooper, Diversity TeleHealth; Tyler Bolz and Will Strout, DataSource; and Nikil Ragav, inventXYZ

11 emerging KC startups hit the road for Omaha pitch; one winner drives home with $25K

Editor’s note: Husch Blackwell is a financial sponsor of Startland News, though this report was produced independently by the nonprofit newsroom. More than a third of competitors at the coming Get Started Omaha premier pitch event are expected to represent Kansas City innovation on stage April 6 — vying for $25,000 in prize money against…

KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas and Gov. Mike Parson, R-Missouri, talk before the announcement of Meta's new $800 million data center in Kansas City

Meta promises local jobs, impact; How its $800M plan could post growth (and disruption) to KC’s story

There’s more to Meta’s $800 million upload into Kansas City’s Northland than face value, company officials said Thursday, outlining plans for community impact that extends well beyond anticipated tech jobs.  “We have programs that help to equip people, schools, and organizations with the resources to build skills and increase the use of technology,” Darcy Nothnagle,…

Rendering of the Meta Kansas City data center at Golden Plains Technology Park

Facebook coming to Kansas City; Meta selects KCMO for massive, $800M data center

A new hyperscale data center is expected to be operational in Kansas City by 2024 — bringing global social media and tech giant Meta to the metro and making good on promises that a Northland development could be the next great national technology hub. The Kansas City Area Development Council and its partners announced the…