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Dr. Allison Edwards and Jay Austin

Rethinking healthcare: How a doctor and activist brought more than 5,000 COVID-19 tests to KC’s most vulnerable

A primary care physician with an innovative take on healthcare and a passionate activist with an extensive background in video production might seem like an unlikely duo, said Dr. Allison Edwards. But she and serial creative Jay Austin united their strengths during the pandemic to help underserved communities in Kansas City gain access to critical…

Ai Connect platform by Abbacore

No code needed: OP software startup’s app-building platform targets businesses big and small

Building an app from scratch is a costly and time-consuming project, said Shawn Black, the co-founder of Abbacore — an Overland Park computer software company that specializes in helping consumers collect and share data through its own app, Ai Connect. “Customers that need a specific solution — instead of spending months on the development table…

Rob Magee, Q39; Photo courtesy of Q39

Q39 savors doubled sales as barbecue-craving Kansas City drives pandemic survival to-go

Kansas City’s restaurant scene will come roaring back in 2021, predicted Rob Magee, serving up a look back at Q39’s wildest year in business and offering his take on what’s made the fast-casual barbecue joint so popular with customers.  “We’re going to get through this pandemic. Kansas City will rise right back up to the…

Jack Stack Barbecue

KC’s favorite BBQ: Interest in these 10 restaurants surged with curbside curiosity, Lelex Prime says

Editor’s note: The following report was produced with analytical support from Lelex Prime, a non-financial, content partner of Startland News. Kansas Citians had impressive appetites in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brendan Reilly said, downloading a massive haul of Lelex Prime-collected data that analyzed trends in one of the metro’s favorite categories — barbecue. …

Nine Zero One Igloo Bar at The Fontaine Hotel

Nine Zero One Igloo Bar: KC’s hottest new nightspot offers an escape on ice (but the clock is ticking)

The City of Fountains is frozen over atop The Fontaine Hotel, transformed into an aurora borealis-inspired vision of Scandinavian Iceland for a limited run pop-up — Nine Zero One Igloo Bar.  “This project has been over a year in the making,” explained Jenna Phillips, the hotel’s associate director of sales and marketing, quick to add…

Eileen Bobowski, The Sewing Labs

Sewing Labs stitches expanded identity as social media influencer with SINGER partnership

Editor’s note: This article is underwritten by Plexpod — a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes — but was independently produced by Startland News. The art of sewing might have been forgotten by some, but it surely isn’t lost, Eileen Bobowski said as the SINGER Corporation needles…

Tape Eater by Mixtape Monkey

Mixtape Monkey brings old school file sharing into 2021 with Tape Eater music app

 Editor’s note: This article is underwritten by Plexpod — a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes — but was independently produced by Startland News. Reviving the nostalgia of the early 2000s music industry, Mark Serrano designed an app where users can file share “mixtapes” straight from their…

Tin Pan Cinnamon Rolls

December sellout: Father-of-four’s Tin Pan cinnamon-swirled creations deliver the treat you’ve been dreaming about

It’s no easy task, but someone had to take it on, Dan Edwards said, mixing and pouring a picture of days spent in his home kitchen, baking up what could be the best cinnamon roll ever to rise in Kansas City. “I really couldn’t find a good cinnamon roll,” Edwards, founder of Tin Pan Cinnamon…

Nick and Jess Phillips, Hyprcubd

Linking tech to humanity: Hyprcubd integrates collaboration among IoT community

Editor’s note: This article is underwritten by Plexpod — a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes — but was independently produced by Startland News. Building a company that solves real-world problems for tech founders isn’t easy — but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done, Jess Phillips said. …

Behind the scenes of a scaling business: 5 pillars of cloud transformation for the conscious builder

Editor’s note: This commentary — the fourth in a four-part series — is sponsored and produced by LightEdge, a leading provider of enterprise-grade data center solutions — rooted in colocation and private cloud, and wrapped in security and compliance. The company delivers always-on internet with highly interconnected data centers, unmatched Compliance as a Service, and…