Latest Stories
Taste 200 restaurants in 10 days? Why your stomach (and hungry neighbors) will thank you
Curious Kansas City diners can step away from their kitchens for the next 10 days, teased Carlos Mortera, as chefs at 200 restaurants across the city plate their latest trending tastes during the metro’s most-anticipated culinary showcase. “It’s a big deal in Kansas City. Many of the restaurants feature items they don’t usually have on the…
After years searching for belonging, new VFA director discovers like minds within startup workforce fellowship
Craig Moore’s new role at Venture for America gives him even greater opportunities to boost representation for entrepreneurs and workers of color, the Black Excellence KC co-founder said. And VFA already has been doing the work, he added. “This is probably the most culturally aware group I have ever been a part of,” said Moore,…
She’s on a mission to boost the region’s tech talent; SnapIT’s new office in Wichita is the next step
Overland Park-based SnapIT Solutions has expanded its promise to deliver high-quality technology job training and educational services into Wichita, Neelima Parasker said, detailing a new partnership between the information technology firm and Wichita State University. “The IT side of the tech industry is now more in demand than ever. … I want to maximize Kansas’…
Kauffman awards Omni Circle $360K grant to help build minority small business hub
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. Editor’s…
MADE MOBB remix: How the KC streetwear kings’ Chiefs collab takes their grind to the gridiron
The postseason pairing of Kansas City’s premier streetwear brand and its most celebrated sports franchise is a dream come true — one years in the making for longtime fans and co-founders Vu Radley and Mark Launiu. “I’m glad it happened now, because after nine years of doing this, we are ready,” said Radley, describing MADE…
HomeRoom closes $1M pre-seed, joining Y Combinator’s latest batch of funded startups
A Kansas City proptech startup that matches roommates with affordable coliving opportunities is reporting record growth, along with a newly announced million-dollar pre-seed funding round led by a leading early stage investor. The investment from Y Combinator, The Uplift Syndicate and The HO0 Fund is expected to help HomeRoom — a residential real estate marketplace that…
Winning alumni revive Columbia Startup Weekend to unlock Midwest talent, find the next billion-dollar startup
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. Techstars…
‘People eat with their eyes first’: Why pop-ups were just a sample of this new bakery’s appeal
Brown Suga Bakes began modestly — selling cookies out of lunch bags mid-pandemic, said Ebony Paul-Harris, detailing a strategy of starting small to achieve big results. In her case: opening the oven to a brick-and-mortar bakery and storefront in Olathe. “In the beginning, we used to make really small cookies. We also had a sample…
Bluetooth your burnt ends: BBQ tech startup fires up new way to keep tabs on those slabs
FireBoard is smoking toward its seventh office in seven years as hiring and product development heat up for the ever-expanding Kansas City-based maker of cloud-connected digital thermometers — a staple tool of many BBQ enthusiasts and restauranteurs. It’s latest addition: the FireBoard Spark, an entry-level meat thermometer with a lower price point than previous models,…
Nothing speaks like flavor: How Johnson County’s favorite empanada stand plans to reach more ‘happy tummies’ (and where to find them)
When Sonia Sandoval moved to America from Venezuela, language was a barrier, she recalled. Rather than keep to herself, Sandoval found a more meaningful form of communication: food. “I started [cooking] when I was 11 years old,” said Sandoval, who co-founded the pop-up Venezuelan food concept, Happy Tummy, with her husband, Juan Paredes. “I…
