Latest Stories
Ecosystem builder on Mayor Q’s budget cuts: Startup support helps fill potholes too
Startup support is an investment — not just a cost to the city, a leading ecosystem builder said Thursday following a proposed KCMO budget that would reduce funding for groups aiding KC’s emerging innovators and risk-takers. “Go around to meet the entrepreneurs, understand their stories — see how we max out our credit cards to hire…
Chit chat on the elevator? RiskGenius targets missing ‘adulting’ soft skills with event series
College curriculum often falls short of the crucial soft skills to get young entrepreneurs from coffee chats to the head of the table, said Kaylee Chappelow. “I don’t want to say college sucks … but I think we all agree that it doesn’t touch on the soft skills,” laughed Chappelow, customer success manager at insurtech…
High demand, low profits: Happy Food Co pulls meal kits from stores, pivots to catering
Love wasn’t enough to sustain the original model of Happy Food Co., but the meal kit company’s ability to pivot opens new doors, said Kiersten Firquain. “For a startup in Kansas City … it is difficult,” Firquain, head chef and co-founder of Happy Food Co., said of geographical challenges that contributed to its restructuring, a…
Outcrafting Carhartt: KC denim guru opened the door to a hidden maker speakeasy, affordable US-made workwear
The high-stakes world of makers — especially those hoping to develop a national brand built on quality craftsmanship — can require connections beyond what someone finds in a simple Google search, said Ryan Martin. “You kind of have to know somebody,” the Kansas City denim guru behind the KC Jacks workwear line and the couture…
WISE Power shifts energy from Hy-Vee Arena to Sporting KC, debuting cutting-edge tech lounge March 7
A new partnership with Sporting KC gives a Kansas City-founded startup naming rights to the new WISE Power Shield Club at Children’s Mercy Park, as well as a new lease on its emerging entertainment concept previously set to debut at the Hy-Vee Arena. “WISE Power has designed technology products and services that are incredibly innovative…
ZOHR relocates HQ to Dallas; KC lauded as its test site, but too limiting to grow brand nationally
Everything’s bigger in Texas for ZOHR — including the startup’s potential to drive onto the national automotive scene, said Komal Choong. “Kansas City has been our test market to prove out key elements of our growth and market expansion strategies,” said Choong, co-founder of ZOHR, confirming Tuesday that the on-demand tire service startup has relocated its…
Mayor’s budget nixes $300K for Keystone innovation development at 18th and Troost
A proposed city budget for 2020-2021 signals a further shift in perspective for the Kansas City mayor’s office, removing significant funding for the planned Keystone innovation district project at 18th Street and Troost Avenue. KCMO would decrease the amount slated for the Keystone Development District by $300,000, if the submitted budget is approved, according to…
Megh Marks History: Artist crafts Chiefs-inspired painting from on-field Super Bowl confetti
While most Kansas Citians were shouting from the rooftops in the seconds after the Chiefs Super Bowl victory, Megh Knappenberger was quietly writing down on the back of a grocery list an idea to capture the joyous spirit of the big win through artistic expression. “I saw the confetti raining down on the players and…
How many fans packed parade route for Chiefs? Crowd counting a touchdown for KC’s EB Systems
While a sea of red greeted Chiefs players Feb. 5 outside Union Station, many fans skipped the official victory rally honoring the world champion football team — opting instead to fight for their right to party nearby, according to crowd data from an emerging Kansas City startup. “Harsh weather and a drunk driving incident on…
Booch! (There it is): Tea-Biotics pours onto 39th Street with its first Missouri kombucha taproom
The “booch” biz is booming and Tea-Biotics Kombucha is bottling growth with its first taproom in Missouri. “We’re really pleased to be growing and also seeing new people, locals, coming in all the time,” said Lauren Klein, who oversees day-to-day operations at the kombucha startup’s latest taproom — the first to be brewed outside of…
