Latest Stories
Crowdfunding sites won’t pay your medical bills, Sickweather CEO says, launching reciprocating donation platform
Crowdfunding can help, but such tactics are unlikely to cover the medical bills of a person struggling with mounting healthcare costs, Graham Dodge said. “The unrealistic amount of self promotion needed to reach people outside your own personal network — which can happen if the media picks up on your story — is the main…
$50K inclusion grant to KCMO a step toward ‘most entrepreneurial city’ for everyone
Kansas City, Missouri, pocketed a major win for the entrepreneurial community Wednesday, becoming one of 10 cities in the nation to be selected for the City Accelerator initiative for inclusive contract procurement. The city will receive a $50,000 grant by the Citi Foundations and Living Cities to increase the opportunities for firms owned by people…
Startup, investor, corporate worlds collide; Ron LeMay’s message for KC: Sit down and talk
Ron LeMay wasn’t willing to watch entrepreneurs flee Kansas City to build their game-changing companies on the coasts, he recalled. “That’s a prescription for disaster over time,” LeMay, CEO of Main Street Data and managing director of Open Air Equity Partners, said of the way he viewed entrepreneurial progress in the City of Fountains as…
Nuts and bolts: Lenexa-forged Enduralock tech catches the eye of NASA, Shell
A Lenexa-based startup is gathering accolades faster than a SpaceX rocket’s methane-fueled full flow staged combustion cycle. “Investors definitely see something unique that is brewing here in Kansas City, so we are excited to represent the area,” said Diana Greenberg, COO and co-founder of Enduralock. Founded in 2014, Enduralock is one of 10 finalist tech…
LEANLAB earns another top-tier funder with $76K+ grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
A hefty new grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will allow LEANLAB Education to expand its incoming 2019 K12 Fellowship from six to 10 innovation teams, Katie Boody said. The $76,500 in funding also allows the education accelerator to grow beyond pilot sites to form the Visionary School Network and award honorariums to…
Competitive scoring for medical marijuana licenses pit startups against time as window narrows
Missouri entrepreneurs hoping to roll into the multi-million dollar medical marijuana industry first must jump a number of hurdles. Step one: Obtaining a license. “Missouri is very competitive,” said Dre Taylor, founder of Nile Valley Aquaponics. “So you know, if you’re trying to win the application, you need to have your ducks in a row.”…
Chris Harris transformed a blighted neighborhood with a golf course; now his effort is hitting the road
Teaming up with America’s car clubs is driving a local community change effort to a nationwide scale, said Chris Harris. “I don’t want to stop here,” said Harris, owner and operator of the Harris Park Midtown Sports and Activities Center — officially shifting gears to a “Phase 2” after seeing the positive change caused by…
Father turns grief over son’s loss into healthtech solution for speedier medical records transfers
Chris Jones’ quietly sunny disposition belies the hard knocks peppered throughout his past. Then again, the full-time consultant, masters candidate, and now startup founder sees all past experience as a catalyst for growth, he said. “Everything you’ve been through in life prepares you for this moment, now,” said Jones, founder of MatchRite Care. “So you…
MADE MOBB building streetwear experience, empire with new Crossroads retail store
MADE MOBB’s growing footprint in Kansas City isn’t because of luck, said Mark Launiu, as the streetwear apparel company plans to open its third retail location in July. “If I’m honest with you, this is hard. It’s a lot of work to push the brand and reflect the culture,” said Launiu, co-founder of MADE MOBB/MADE…
Pride underfoot: Founder’s rainbow crosswalk movement met with resistance
KC PrideFest 2019 has come and gone, but one voice in Kansas City’s startup community is advocating for a year-around symbol of LGBTQ+ support. “I want something that’s going to be more permanent than a sticker on the streetcar,” said Brandon Love, referencing the recently unveiled KC streetcar that sports a wraparound rainbow design. “That’s…
