Latest Stories
MADE to order: How KC’s top streetwear brand plans to fund therapy sessions for ‘our brothers and sisters’
No health, no hustle, said Vu Radley, detailing MADE MOBB’s recently launched effort to fund free therapy sessions for members of the Black community. “Mental health isn’t something that’s talked about a lot within minority groups. For me, growing up, it wasn’t,” said Radley, co-founder of MADE, emphasizing newly heightened stress and super-charged anxiety for…
AI startup partners with Bobcat on self-driving bulldozers for ‘more intelligent’ job sites
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. LAWRENCE…
Expensive billboards aren’t enough: Digital content startup pushes platform for engaging signage
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. WICHITA…
Pivoting to freelance: Getting started on your own takes step-by-step attention to detail
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Chris Brown is the founder of Venture Legal where he represents startups, freelancers, and small businesses. This column — originally published by Venture Legal and part of a limited series on freelance entrepreneurism — is intended to be general in detail and does…
Westport facing dwindling foot traffic: Online sales will only get us so far, resilient entrepreneur says
Matt Bramlette is stretched thin, bouncing between his two retail shops as Westport storefronts struggle to reopen after a pandemic-induced shutdown, protests that disrupted business and other unexpected challenges. “We rely on tourists and foot traffic — two things that are few and far between right now,” said Bramlette, owner of brick-and-mortar Mid Coast Modern and…
Treat yourself: Iconic pink cone fits entrepreneur’s hunger for nostalgia, growth
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. Just…
DoubleTapKC powers past real-world complications with River Market VR arcade, pub
Timing and preparation are everything for DoubleTapKC as the virtual reality arcade and pub prepares to unleash a new experience in the River Market — one its owners say is a perfect release for COVID-wary Kansas Citians eager to reconnect. “To be quite honest with you, I feel really blessed,” co-founder Terry Keith said, reflecting…
Pandemic pauses genre-bending band’s tour, but amplifies message of music as a business, form of activism
In a world where empathy can be in short supply, the brothers behind Kansas City Latinx rock band Making Movies see music and songwriting as a way young people growing up in a divided country can level the playing field. The key is exposing them to mentors who can illustrate what’s possible, said Enrique Chi,…
Wave Money: H&R Block deposits its $405M startup investment into small business banking
A year to the day after its acquisition by Kansas City tax giant H&R Block, Wave Financial is churning up change in the sea of small business banking. The Toronto,Canada-based fintech company announced Thursday the launch of Wave Money — a first-of-its-kind small business banking solution that eliminates banking fees, has built-in bookkeeping, and gives business…
Employer survey: KC digital media talent weak on tech, soft skills — even with a college degree
Area colleges and universities are falling short in preparing graduates for careers in digital media, a new study suggests. Cross-industry collaborations could help fill in the missing pixels. “The survey really highlights some gaps that are preventing the industry from moving forward,” explained Ron Green, executive director of digiSTORY KC — a Kansas City-based non-profit…
