Black business advocate GIFT wraps holiday markets to close visibility gap for entrepreneurs
The holiday shopping season offers many retail-focused entrepreneurs a gift of their own, said Kharissa Parker, describing opportunities for emerging Black business owners to meet customers in-person at events like Kansas City G.I.F.T.’s Small Business Saturday Black Business Market.
How Polsinelli stepped onto the national stage without walking away from its KC roots
“We’re not just a national law firm that happens to have an office in Kansas City,” said Greg Kratofil. “We’ve been helping build this city’s technology ecosystem for decades while also building a national practice capable of representing some of the most innovative companies in the world.”
GEWKC returns to Union Station with maker fair, packed lineup of startup, small biz speakers
“Every year, we think we can’t possibly top the previous year; and yet every year, our attendees, speakers, makers and supporters blow us away,” said Callie England, director of GEWKC. “This event is one of the highlights of our year because it shows everything the Innovation Center and our partners do for entrepreneurs, all in one place.”
Sports-wellness tech cohort adds two more Kansas City companies in time for tip off
An intensive week of programming opened Monday at ShotTracker’s headquarters in Overland Park as a small cohort of founders — including two just-added Kansas City area innovators — began an immersive new experience led by Endeavor Heartland an Keystone Innovation District.
Hydrangea House grows into long-vacant, Tudor-style Brookside police and fire station
Mother-daughter duo Jessica Carpenter and Abigail Gaughan have been deep cleaning the 6,265-square-foot space — putting in new ceiling and floor tiles, upgrading plumbing, and hanging one-of-a-kind chandeliers. Three trucks of merchandise await, filled with homegoods and vintage and antique furniture.
‘Shark Tank’ is TV (not reality), founders say; Students urged to prepare for the grind, think like entrepreneurs
“You can work for the biggest company in the United States and can still be an entrepreneur within those walls of that company,” said Mathes, a namesake for the Mathes Innovation Center at William Jewell College. “So, if you want to be successful in whatever career you’re in, you need to at least think like an entrepreneur.”
How this KC-area college turned entrepreneurs’ ventures into a fast-growing MBA program
“People don’t want to study theory,” said Taras Polik, founder of London-based startup OneDay. “They can watch videos online on YouTube. They really want to do practical things with their own hands and learn this way.”
Whataburger could expand further in KC, but first it needs to ‘feel like home’; here’s how KMO Burger says it’s going hyperlocal
After opening nearly two dozen Whataburger locations throughout the region — fueled by enthusiasm from two of Kansas City’s biggest sports stars — the Texas-built burger brand’s local franchisee is testing KC diners’ appetites before expanding further into or beyond the market.
City officials: $600M for Royals stadium isn’t a blank check; leaders laud boosts to workers, youth, homeless fund
Passing a massive funding plan to help transform Crown Center into a downtown ballpark district isn’t just about enthusiasm for baseball, said Wes Rogers; it’s an investment toward truly putting Kansas City and its residents in the big leagues.
Success clusters: Innovation leaders shine among Lumi Award honorees at Digital Health Day
Clusters drive talent, noted Maria Meyers from the Lumi Awards stage Thursday, detailing the growing list of sectors developing in Kansas City — from digital health and biotech to critical materials — and the impact of embracing them as a region.
Restaurateurs at Parlor KC ‘completely shocked’ by food hall’s planned closure
With just four days’ notice — and sitting on thousands of dollars in perishable food inventory — a half-dozen entrepreneurs with kitchens at Parlor KC said they were blindsided this week by a social media post announcing the food hall’s final hours.
Intuidy’s AI bet isn’t on smarter models; it’s that your business’ next breakthrough is already in your data
The Lenexa-based CEO of Intuidy isn’t betting his company’s future on building a smarter artificial intelligence model. OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others are already fighting that battle. Grayson Smith instead wants Intuidy to build the architecture around those models.
Her line of condiments shakes up a protein-fueled industry, but Marta Grace’s biggest flex: clean ingredients
Leaning on a standard protein shake might help someone hit their daily protein goals, Marta Grace said, but it also could be filled with sugar, preservatives, and other additives that make the journey to better health a heavier lift. The menu needs to widen, she added.