Latest Stories
How an artisan leatherworker in KC’s historic northeast is making space for more than a hobby
Faye Steiner-Woods returned from a trip to Brooklyn, New York, inspired — eager to prove quality doesn’t have to mean expensive when creativity is used as currency. “I wanted to purchase this really expensive, $50 keychain, and it just seemed ridiculous,” Steiner-Woods laughed, recalling their impulse to buy — and the origins of a business venture,…
Serial tech entrepreneur, ecosystem builder develops app to help turn everyday purchases into charitable donations
Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial supporter of Startland News. This story was produced independently by Startland News’s nonprofit newsroom. Operating a nonprofit taught Quest Moffat that it’s easier to raise programming dollars than it is to raise operating dollars — and a lack of the latter brings unexpected stressors, he…
Why Nina Whitmore left Corporate America to fight fast fashion (The answer is pretty black and white)
When Nina Whitmore was in elementary school, she always wore culottes — flowy cropped pants that are now back in style. They were easiest for her mother to sew, even though Whitmore would have preferred to wear jeans like the other kids, she said. Her interest in fashion began as a tween, when she paged…
Firebrand Ventures closes $40M seed fund for ‘authentic’ founders in emerging communities; adds Leo Morton as advisor
A year after two prominent venture capital firms announced their merger, the consolidated Firebrand Ventures II is officially closed — reaching its $40 million target and having already invested in startups from Detroit, Seattle and Toronto. “Several years ago we raised our first funds — Boulder-based Blue Note Ventures and Kansas City-based Firebrand Ventures I —…
KC council members set to rappel from Canary bar atop 10-story building for Fringe festival fundraiser
Nothing screams KC Fringe Festival quite like rappelling down a 10-story building in the heart of Midtown, said organizers of a weekend fundraiser to help bring professional arts advocates — laid off because of the pandemic — back to the payroll. “To me, this fundraiser really speaks to what the Fringe does — which is…
Three Dog Bakery’s newest location brings doggie cookies, birthday cakes to Bar K
A partnership between a Kansas City-bred, all-natural dog treat brand and one of the metro’s hottest spots for four-legged meetups is a natural pairing, said David Hensley, noting both businesses are centered around the goal of bringing joy to people and their pets. “We’ve been working with Three Dog Bakery for a while now to…
Grandview-based battery innovator — Evergy Ventures’ first investment — exiting to global power player
A Kansas City-area startup developing next-generation scalable lithium-ion battery storage systems for land, sea and air is being acquired by a global power management leader, the companies announced Monday. Financial terms of the transaction — through which Grandview-based Spear Power Systems will add its power and talent to Sensata Technologies — were not disclosed. The…
The Future is Black: Storytelling duo launches effort to inspire new generation of creatives, entrepreneurs
The future is Black and Dominic Davis wants Kansas City to know it, he said, announcing the launch of a new campaign aimed at better connecting and supporting entrepreneurs and creatives of color. “When one of us wins, we all win,” Davis said, detailing his decision to found The Future is Black (TFIB) — a storytelling…
Divide and conquer: Splitsy pulls $70K from crowdfunding, ‘extra bump’ toward launch
Splitsy is ready to cash in on its widespread consumer appeal, revealed Brad Starnes, announcing the close of the startup’s first crowdfunding campaign and what it might mean for its rapidly scaling future. “We’re sitting at about $130,000 in funding right now,” said Starnes, co-founder of Splitsy, noting a nearly $71,000 chunk of the startup’s…
KC Pioneers secure six-figure funding from up-and-coming investment firm backed by MySidewalk exec
“Investment” goes deeper than simply writing a check, Mark Josey said, noting Kansas City’s premier esports league plans on being intentional in raising its $2 million seed round. “When you’re looking for partners, investors and sponsors, it starts at the core with asking: Do they believe in our mission, vision and value? Do they have…
