Latest Stories

Matt Watson and Matt DeCoursey, Startup Hustle

Startup Hustle podcast breaks into Apple’s Top 100 with robust guest list of startup icons

The on-air formula is as simple as the Startup Hustle podcast’s name: Match innovative personalities with compelling startup topics, said Matt DeCoursey, as the guest list count for the popular podcast now soars past 150. “The people we have had on the show — like Sandy Kemper — people like him are really intriguing,” said…

Photo courtesy of Dimensional Innovations

How a KC design firm bottled J Rieger’s history into a distillery experience built on detail (Photos)

Pairing a homegrown company on the cutting edge of design with the creator of “Kansas City Whiskey” was the perfect match for telling the storied history of J. Rieger and Co., said Andy Rieger. In an awe-striking ode to the company’s nearly century-old prohibition-era roots, co-founder Rieger commissioned Dimensional Innovations two years ago to craft…

Chris Goode, Ruby Jean's Juicery

Ruby Jean’s Whole Foods spot will blend in Troost inclusivity, Chris Goode pledges

As Chris Goode prepares to open a new Ruby Jean’s location Saturday inside a Whole Foods Market south of the Country Club Plaza, the health enthusiast’s hustle hasn’t outpaced his thirst for community, he said. “From Troost to Brookside, Ruby Jean’s will continue to create a truly inclusive space,” Goode said, referencing the popular Ruby…

Matt Watson, Stackify

Inc. 5000 ranks Matt Watson’s Stackify among top fastest-growing companies in KC

If founders don’t put themselves out there, they’ll never know how far they can grow, advised Matt Watson, shortly after Inc. Magazine ranked his tech startup — Stackify — one of the fastest growing companies in Kansas City. “I mean, we’re not boiling the ocean over here, but we’re just slowly growing a little every…

Kansas City’s Top VC-Backed Companies in 2019

The Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies List recognizes the momentum pushing an emerging cohort of Kansas City growth-stage, venture-backed companies.  Simply put, the list — updated and now published annually — shows a massive increase in venture capital deployed to Kansas City companies in 2019, as well as a significant jump in jobs at those businesses….

Project United Knowledge, Cohort 2

Project UK banks $50K JPMorgan Chase Foundation investment via ‘united effort’ with UMKC Innovation Center

A hefty infusion of funding is expected to help Project United Knowledge offer more tools to black, Latinx and other professionals from underrepresented groups, according to the UMKC Innovation Center.  The $50,000 investment from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation was awarded to the UMKC Innovation Center, which partners with Project UK to deliver programming, resources and…

Clara Biotech boasts first-of-its-kind cancer detection from lab in Lawrence

A Kansas startup says its cancer detection process — requiring only a single blood sample — could dramatically simplify a often-harrowing health care experience, as well as lead to personalized treatments for illnesses ranging from cancer to neurological diseases like Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis.  Clara Biotech — based in Lawrence at the BioScience and Technology…

OHUB Kansas City

OHUB’s ‘unapologetic’ arrival in KC comes with $300K in support; ‘Cosby Show’ alum at Friday event

A familiar face from pop culture and $300,000 in entrepreneurial support are just two highlights tied to the Opportunity Hub’s new effort to build a more inclusive startup ecosystem in Kansas City.   “Many times, [building an inclusive community] involves hosting a series of frequently held, branded events that introduce community stakeholders to black and Latinx…

Women2Women tours

Women2Women tour: Conversation in Kansas City will ripple back to lawmakers in DC

Editor’s note: This content was sponsored by Women2Women Conversation Tours but independently produced by Startland News. From the dining room table to the halls of Congress, conversations about issues important to women need to be at the forefront of the national agenda, said Sarah Chamberlain, founder of the Women2Women Conversation Tours and CEO of Republican…

Ready to ghost summer? Boozy ‘spookeasy’ pop-up concepts pour ‘horror movies in a cup’

A graveyard smash is expected to sweep the metro this fall as two Kansas City hotspots prepare to unleash new pop-up bar concepts for Halloween.  “Ever since I watched ‘The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror’ when I was like 8, I have been into, in some manner, scary things,” said Edward Schmalz, founder of Pawn and…