Latest Stories
It isn’t the hometown you left behind: Back2KC returns this week to reunite talent with today’s Kansas City
People are longing for community perhaps now more than ever, said Brett Crawford, announcing the return of Back2KC, a two-day virtual event reconnecting former Kansas Citians to their hometown. And the timing has never been better, he added. “Suddenly you’re not confined by the residence-versus-workplace conundrum,” said Crawford, who leads the Back2KC program for Startland,…
Partners in page turning: Sisters unwind with cigar bar-style concept for wine-loving readers
Sure, wine pairs great with dinner or sweets — but have you ever tried it with just the right book, asked Kansas City-born sisters La’Nesha Frazier and La’Nae Robinson. “If I’m reading a comedy, I don’t want something dark, something like a heavy red wine. I want light. I want something fruity, I want something…
HyperKC owner found freedom in KC’s ‘softest’ tee — and a new career as his own boss
If Kansas City has an abundance of anything, it’s wearable pride, said Dave Lindahl. “Charlie Hustle invented it,” added Lindahl, owner of HyperKC — a local apparel company that channeled the New York-transplant’s passion for KC into an all-inclusive brand that celebrates local artists and serves as a de facto welcome center for out-of-town visitors…
Chocolatier Christopher Elbow: Neighborhood favorites need KC support to survive 2020 (and 2021)
Hours before opening to hungry Black Friday customers, workers at Christopher Elbow’s Fairway Creamery were busy crafting decadent donuts and savory on-the-go breakfast favorites. Salted caramel gingersnap cake. Strawberry rosé and chocolate blackout yeast raised. Avocado toast with a sunny side up egg on top. The morning easily could go either way, staff members said:…
Shop small: Five ways to wear (and wash with) KC pride from Westside Storey’s historic corner
Editor’s note: Startland News perused Westside Storey’s 1920s-era corner shop as part of the newsroom’s five-part holiday gift guide that identifies locally made goods and supports the call to shop small. Click here to read the multi-day gift guide as it develops. What began eight years ago as a boutique antique shop quickly evolved into…
Tom Corbin Continued: Famed KC sculptor shapes decades of creativity into a work of art
Like many in the entrepreneur community, nationally renowned sculptor and painter Tom Corbin didn’t truly embrace his calling until hitting a wall at his uninspiring day job. “I was selling corrugated boxes, of all things, for a big corporation,” Corbin said of his first gig out of college — a “non-artful” diversion that nevertheless got him…
4,000 vacant jobs won’t fill themselves, says KC Tech Council, launching apprenticeship program for tech talent
A recurring theme in Kansas City’s tech circles: not enough skilled workers to fit the open job opportunities, said Ryan Weber. “That shouldn’t surprise people because it’s not a Kansas City problem — it’s a national problem,” said Weber, president and CEO of the KC Tech Council. Click here to learn more about the KC…
Shop small: Five finds at Made in KC to help creators survive a ‘make or break’ holiday season
Editor’s note: Startland News explored the Made in KC Marketplace in Lee’s Summit as part of the newsroom’s five-part holiday gift guide that identifies locally made goods and supports the call to shop small. Click here to read the multi-day gift guide as it develops. A trip to Made in KC means a majority of…
New in KC: Quarantine with family leads Techmate founder to open office in Kansas City
Editor’s note: New in KC is an ongoing profile series that highlights newly relocated members of the Kansas City startup community, their reasons for a change of scenery, and what they’ve found so far in KC. Click here to read more New in KC profiles. Growing up in Nebraska, Nicole Beals felt like she needed…










