Latest Stories
KCultivator Q&A: Lauren Conaway finds passion in womxn-led InnovateHER KC
Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The KCultivator Series is sponsored by Plexpod, a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes. Kansas City’s female entrepreneurs are begging for the opportunity to champion each…
Forget the war on drugs — Marijuana is a war on chronic pain, says founder in ProjectUK cohort
Don’t look at marijuana through a societal lens, said Jessica Sanders. Instead view the natural substance as a potential life-saving measure. “My mother had multiple sclerosis and seeing her suffer really changed a lot about me,” explained Sanders, founder of Lisa’s Gifts — a high-quality THC extraction facility named after Sanders’ mom, expected to provide and…
We Grow KC investment summit aims to harness opportunity zones to empower neighborhood social fabric
Investment is a two-way street that can have a positive impact on both investors and community residents, said Dianne Cleaver. A new gathering — the June 26-27 We Grow KC Opportunity Zones Investor Summit — aims to bridge the potential divide between such neighbors with the back of Cleaver’s Urban Neighborhoods Initiative, the Ewing Marion…
USDA moving two key agencies to KC, expected to bring 568 new jobs to the animal health corridor
Corporate and government leaders agree: Kansas City is positioned at the hub of innovation in the animal health space, they said Thursday, announcing the metro has been chosen as the new home of two federal agencies. “Kansas City is a city with a small town feel, which makes it a great place to build a…
Bellwethr grows $2.5M in seed funding, building two-city talent base between KC, Manhattan
A $2.5 million seed funding round will infuse Bellwethr with more than cash, said Matt Moody. “We’ve been able to find some high quality talent and the big thing now is to apply that, build out the product more and start selling even faster,” Moody, founder and CEO, said of Bellwethr’s alignment for rapid growth….
Local Legends unplugs Westport eSports gaming center; founder vows his vision won’t be reduced by May shooting
The doors at 3933 Main St. are locked tight, but the startup journey once housed inside them is far from over, teased AbdulRasheed Yahaya. “Local Legends isn’t going anywhere … unless we’re talking about the video game truck. That’s going everywhere,” said Yahaya, owner of Local Legends Gaming — an eSports and gaming business that…
Missouri governor signs bill to end KC ‘border war,’ awaits Kansas response
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed a bill Tuesday placing restrictions on tax incentives offered to businesses moving from certain counties in Kansas to Missouri. The bill represents a step toward ending the economic development “border war” between the two states. “This is really about being competitive with real competitors,” said Parson, who was in Kansas…
Wave’s $405M acquisition a move toward ‘bigger, bolder, faster’ H&R Block, CEO says
The $405 million acquisition of Wave Financial wasn’t about H&R Block’s image — it was a move to join like-minded companies in the trenches of innovation, no matter the weight either surging business holds, said Jeff Jones. “We knew strategically that industry makes Wave a fit with H&R Block, and then it was a matter…
Venture for America fellows bringing diversity of thought to KC tech, investment firms
Venture for America fellows are flocking to Kansas City, said Kate Loar. “Venture For America’s initial Kansas City champions: the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Pepper, KCRise Fund, and Super Dispatch set the groundwork for growth in KC,” noted Loar, VFA director in St. Louis and Kansas City. “We’re excited to expand the local VFA cohort…
Into the weeds: Your corner CBD store might’ve just lost its bank thanks to a slow-to-innovate industry
Banking as a mom-and-pop CBD shop can be treacherous, said Kyle Steppe. “Our first week in business, our bank shut us down and liquidated all of our assets,” said Steppe, who operates KC Hemp Co. with his wife, Heather. Their downtown Overland Park storefront is one of many independent, regional CBD sites suffering from the…
