Digital Sandbox KC

Carlanda McKinney, Bodify

Right fit, refined: Carlanda McKinney’s third venture in apparel measures up to its digital design

Online shopping is a staple for Carlanda McKinney, she noted, but the inaccuracy and variety of size guides leave both shoppers and retailers with major pain points.  “On the shopper side, it is frustrating to order multiple sizes and not have anything fit your body the right way. … On the seller side, retailers are…

A.J. Mellott and Heather Decker, Ronawk

Olathe startup set to launch STEM training facility; plans to create 150 jobs over next seven years

Starting as two scientists with an idea to solve slow and costly cell production, Ronawk has now blossomed into a rapidly growing startup with an increasing demand for its work, said A.J. Mellott. “We quickly realized that Ronawk was going to need a lot of talent to meet the demand of its products,” said Mellott,…

Sam Yates and Chris Meier, Yup Yup Design Studio; Photo by Ann Millington Photography

Report: UMKC Innovation Center helped create 500 new ventures, boost revenue by $245M in 2020

Amid a year of pandemic-prompted chaos in the business community, entrepreneurs forged ahead like rarely before seen, according to the UMKC Innovation Center’s new impact report, which details outcomes of the Kansas City-based resource network’s programming opportunities. “These entrepreneurs and leaders are our clients, our inspiration and our hope,” said Maria Meyers, executive director at…

Chris Rehkamp

New in KC: Why UMKC’s island-hopping tech leader is trading Hawaiian surf for Kansas City turf 

Editor’s note: New in KC is an ongoing profile series that highlights newly relocated members of the Kansas City startup community, their reasons for a change of scenery, and what they’ve found so far in KC. Click here to read more New in KC profiles. The Midwest is home, said Chris Rehkamp. “That’s where I feel like I’m really…

Juaquan Herron, VenBoo, 2923 Comics, The Scarlet Knight

‘Not an over-glorified hobby’: Comic book creator designs app to help vendors find conventions, sketch path to profitability

Juaquan Herron spent countless hours actively searching for comic conventions to share and sell his work — often feeling frustrated after learning about conventions too late, he recalled. “Especially starting out in the industry, I didn’t have many friends and wasn’t finding out about vending opportunities,” said Herron, who founded 2923 Comics and created the…