Latest Stories
#MomFund: Unruh Furniture builds more than tables inside a century-old church off KC’s Main Street
A table can mean stability, said Sam Unruh, founder of Unruh Furniture. It’s four legs help provide the emotional support for a home. “Growing up, my family ate together every night at the table. We all had our spots and still do to this day,” said Unruh, whose custom, made-to-order furniture business operates out of…
Second Edison Spaces flexible office site designed for uncertainty of startup life
Growing a startup is risky enough, said Matt Druten, co-founder of Edison Spaces — entrepreneurs shouldn’t have to worry about finding and maintaining an office. “Changes are unexpected. Nobody really knows where their company is going to be in six months,” he said. “Is my startup going to double in size? Is it going to…
Digital Crossroads: Techstars sees hints of KC’s future in its history as a collision point of ideas
Techstars’ Oct. 11 programming during Techweek Kansas City finds inspiration in the past, Lesa Mitchell said, but it focuses on the metro’s future at a digital crossroads. “In the old days, it was called the crossroads because this was actually where all the trains were going through from Mexico to Canada, and east and west…
Jasmine Diane: ‘My Girl Story’ empowerment is bigger than T-shirts, Instagram
Jasmine Diane Cooper dreams of inspiring women across the world with the My Girl Story movement, she said. “[As women] we will tear ourselves down or we look for things that kind of separate us, but we all have the same struggle,” said the social media influencer and rising star on the Kansas City marketing…
Pipeline rotates The Innovators gala to Omaha for celebration of fellows, incoming cohort
Pipeline hopes moving its The Innovators gala to Omaha for 2019 will help keep the premier startup event fresh after more than a decade in Kansas City, said Joni Cobb. “Change and experimentation are what Pipeline is all about,” said Cobb, president and CEO of Pipeline. “We are an entrepreneurial organization, and as such we…
KCultivator Q&A: Lesa Mitchell talks eating eyeballs, remembering names, growing startups
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 WeWork Corrigan Station, a modern twist on Kansas City office space. Growth is a daily driver, Lesa Mitchell said, but it can be limited by the environment around entrepreneurs. “If…
STEM education bill backed by KC Tech Council passes MO Senate, heads back to governor
Despite initial pushback, a bill that would broaden access to computer education in Missouri high schools, could be gaining momentum, said Ryan Weber. If passed, the legislation would increase STEM awareness in public schools and require districts to count computer science courses as math and science credits, the KC Tech Council president and an advocate…
Beyond language barriers: DivvyHQ partners with translation tech firm for greater global reach
A newly announced partnership provides DivvyHQ an expanded toolset to open the doors to a global market — translating and delivering any type of marketing-related content across any device, channel or language, said Brock Stechman. “We’ve been working so hard over the past few years to really build this company from the ground up,” said…
Techweek dedicating Oct. 10 afternoon programming to diversity in KC business culture
A first-time programming track dedicated to diversity and inclusion issues is an intentional effort by Techweek Kansas City organizers to open a needed conversation about true representation in the city’s business culture, said Drew Solomon. The mid-point of the Oct. 8-12 Techweek KC event series is expected to feature an afternoon of panel discussions and…
‘Millennial’ isn’t a curse word — it’s a critical marketing tool, says Social Apex Media
Social Apex Media is designed to feed the creativity of hungry millennial entrepreneurs who don’t fit into the corporate culture of many other marketing agencies, said Brandon Priest. “We’re building Social Apex on the backs of entrepreneurs. That means instead of employees who feel like, ‘OK, I just got to work 9 to 5 every…
