Latest Stories
UMKC pitch challenge awards $95K+ for ‘entrepreneur state of mind’ in and outside the classroom
Winning $15,000 in Friday’s pitch competition at UMKC’s Regnier Venture Creation Challenge felt like the culmination of years of hard work and development, said Iyshia Sims. “Oh my gosh, I’m just so proud of myself,” said Sims, founder of ‘Amir’acle Body Butters and More. “I felt really good after the pitch, I have pitched a…
InvestMidwest returns to St. Louis May 6-7 for Midwest venture capital forum’s 25th year
ST. LOUIS — About 50 startups — including some of Kansas City’s most high-profile emerging companies — are expected to pitch to more than 100 investors May 6-7 when the InvestMidwest conference turns St. Louis into the gateway to innovation. “On the 25th anniversary of InvestMidwest, it’s great to be back in St. Louis where it…
Family’s Japanese-inspired fabric gift wrap hits a home run with new fans (and an iconic American baseball team)
At the intersection of heritage and innovation, a Kansas City family business is pitching a new way to gift, through vibrant fabric package wraps that carry both meaning and intention — even catching the attention of an unexpected collaborator: Major League Baseball. Keiko Furoshiki — a Kansas City brand crafted at the creative fingertips of Japanese-American…
Tech veterans launch startup studio to back next-wave SaaS products with founder-led thinking
Backed by years of entrepreneurial wins, the team behind Full Scale and the exited Stackify just announced a new product studio and startup lab concept — purpose-built for what founder Matt Watson called the post-playbook SaaS era. “Founders today are facing a new set of realities,” said Watson, serial entrepreneur, podcast host, and co-founder of…
Arts summit’s three-year move to KC celebrates flyover country creatives (and the entrepreneurs who make it)
Great art stands on its own merits, said Diane Scott, but if the artist behind a piece can’t or doesn’t sell their vision to the world, their expression hasn’t achieved its goal. “Nobody makes art to not share it with other people,” added Scott, director of artist services for the Kansas-City based Mid-America Arts Alliance,…
How this ‘Hallmark town’ gets its country charm from a Main Street serial entrepreneur
Editor’s note: The following story was produced through a paid partnership with MOSourceLink, which boasts a mission to help entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state of Missouri grow and succeed by providing free, easy access to the help they need — when they need it. WARSAW, Mo. — Owning her own boutique — and…
Landlord insurance startup using $30M round to invest in KC team; here’s where its hiring
An eight-figure funding injection is expected to allow Steadily to fuel growth in its greatest asset: talent, shared OverlandPark-based co-founder and COO Datha Santomieri. On Wednesday, the landlord insurance startup — with headquarters in Overland Park and Austin, Texas — announced a $30 million Series C round led by Two Sigma Ventures with participation from…
Community honors ‘relentless storm’ of Chicano culture (starting with its unsung women)
An emotional celebration of Chicana women leaders, artists, and advocates earlier this month centered on honoring resilience and reclaiming identity — something Deanna Muñoz once felt pressured to hide. “I used to shrink myself,” said Muñoz, founder of the Chicano Center for the Arts and the first-ever ¡Viva La Chicana! Awards. “To fit in, to…
Business on the rebound: KC entrepreneur brings platform for buying authentic jerseys back from the ice
A new player in Kansas City is shaking up the sports memorabilia scene. Aidan Scurato is breathing new life into Rebound Jerseys, a once-dormant Canadian marketplace for hockey jerseys — transforming it into a trusted platform for buying and selling authenticated gear. “I love sports, and there’s a ton of counterfeit items in the sports,…
Fortune 500 company says it’s bringing 2,000 jobs paying $100K to OP’s former Sprint campus
No better proof that ‘Kansas City has the capacity and competitiveness to meet this moment’ A globe-spanning fintech leader’s plan to create a new strategic hub in Overland Park is expected to include a $4 billion payroll investment in the Kansas City region over the next decade, the company said this week. Milwaukee-based Fiserv officially…
