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.”
Pipeline teams with UMKC to connect paid student consultants with Midwest founders
“Whether a founder is just getting started or scaling a company, there are almost always more opportunities and challenges than there are people available to work on them,” Melissa Vincent said. “Small teams are busy running the business, and strategic projects can keep getting pushed back, even when they could make a meaningful difference in the company’s growth.”
KC tech leaders: AI developed without women, diverse voices could bring real-world harm
“I always tell women: ‘Staying away from AI or completely ignoring it is not doing anybody good,’” said Maliha Khan, CEO and founder of consultancy Khanect the Dots. “You control how much or how little of AI you use.”
Winning element: KU-linked startup mines critical spot-cash support at Pure Pitch Rally
Bri Farris was a little surprised at the backing — and stack of novelty checks — given to Electravera at Monday’s Pure Pitch Rally, she said, even though her startup’s innovative electrochemical process to recover high-purity lithium and cobalt derivatives tracks well with the region’s momentum around critical materials.
C2FO partners with crypto tech giant Ripple to help businesses get paid almost instantly
A new deal pairs a Kansas City-built global platform for working capital with one of the world’s leaders in blockchain-infused digital finance — enabling C2FO’s Instant Pay program to get businesses paid instantly using Ripple’s U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin.
Survey asks where sales tax funds should be invested next; EDCKC targets corridors for investment
A sales tax program meant to transform long-neglected corridors of Kansas City’s central city earned overwhelming voter support this summer, said Andrea Bough, noting renewed work to steward millions in public investment begins now — guided by the community most impacted.
Iconic entrepreneur’s spirit pours into ‘Sarah’s Blend’ amid KC fundraiser for Black Movie Hall of Fame
Every cup needs filled, said coffee co-founder Reggie Harris, noting sometimes the richest flavors come from unexpected sources. His latest blend draws inspiration from a community in search of its own roast and the legacy of an entrepreneur who refused to let her own pot go cold.