Darcy Howe

Back2KC sets return date for its 2024 homecoming effort, scouting familiar faces to build an even stronger KC

When Back2KC returns this fall, the homegrown talent recruitment initiative will lean on unexpected connections to entice former residents — now out-of-town professionals — to give Kansas City’s recent Golden Age another look, organizers said.  “The biggest win we can have is if these expats and ex-Kansas Citians come back, move their families here, move…

Bardavon’s latest funding round gets a KC boost, supports Recovery+ new product rollout

A transformative product release from one of Kansas City’s leading healthtech companies coincides with a meaningful funding round — marking a new chapter in workers’ compensation, as well as for Bardavon’s recently announced new CEO, the company said. Financial details of the round — led by WestCap and NewRoad Capital Partners, with participation from KCRise Fund…

KCRise Fund-backed startup secures $20M Series C, fueling its commitment to KC

A Texas-based caregiver support platform’s latest funding round is expected accelerate the company’s growth and expand its support solutions, said CEO Michael Walsh, noting the startup continues to deepen ties to Kansas City. Cariloop today announced the close of its Series C funding round, raising $20 million. The investment was led by ABS Capital with…

Looking for investors? A startup’s first ask shouldn’t be for money, leading VCs say

Most startup founders think of funding as transactional, Darcy Howe shared, but it’s actually relational. “You’ve got to have relationships with people long before they’ll fund and that includes angels and all the others,” the KCRise Fund founding managing director told a crowd gathered at UMKC’s Bloch Executive Hall for Startland News’ Kansas City Startups…

Startup ambassadors’ pitch to former Kansas Citians: Move your innovation, hustle Back2KC

Kansas City is having a moment, said Liam Reilly, and it’s an opportunity he and fellow Back2KC organizers couldn’t pass up — reviving the tech talent recruitment program amid Chiefs glory, downtown baseball district buzz, KC Streetcar expansion, riverfront revitalization, and a World Cup on the horizon. “We didn’t want to wait another year to…