Jim Malle

Missouri notched big wins for entrepreneurs in 2026, but work remains, advocates report

Missouri is finally seeing renewed and sustained political momentum around entrepreneurship, Jason Wiens told town hall attendees gathered for an update on the Show-Me State’s recent wins around entrepreneur support.

Missouri Starters Coalition debuts effort to boost homegrown jobs, future founders 

Entrepreneurs across Missouri gained a new champion this week as regional and national advocates launched a new coalition to support builders in the face of systemic, confidence-shaking roadblocks as they seek to drive job creation and higher lifetime incomes. The Missouri Starters Coalition on Thursday unveiled its founding members — Back2KC, Cortex, E-Factory, Keystone Innovation…

Father Justin Mathews, Thelma's Kitchen, Reconciliation Services

LaunchKC’s latest: a Social Venture Studio to tackle social, racial, environmental issues

A new Kansas City-based social venture studio is expected to help social entrepreneurs avoid grant starvation — and depending too heavily on financial gifts — in lieu of models that focus on innovative steps toward sustainability, said Father Justin Mathews. “I got very excited about social venturing — this idea of being able to harness…

Hyleme George, IgniteX accelerator

LaunchKC, Black & Veatch open COVID-19 grants competition with $250K (or more) for startups

Editor’s note: The following is part of Startland News’ ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City’s entrepreneur community, as well as how innovation is helping to drive a new normal in the ecosystem. Click here to follow related stories as they develop. A newly announced grants competition could boost both the health…

Nathan Kurtz, Brush Creek Partners; Drew Solomon, Economic Development Council of Kansas City, Missouri; Tommy Wilson and Mike Hurd, Downtown Council of Kansas City

LaunchKC, Brush Creek unveil InsureTech accelerator led by longtime startup advocate

The latest LaunchKC-powered industry accelerator aims to bring a new wave of technology Kansas City’s insurance community, said Nathan Kurtz. “There’s a rich heritage of insurance in Kansas City,” said Kurtz, COO of Brush Creek Partners, announcing the bcp tech InsurTech Accelerator, which teams Brush Creek with TechAssure and LaunchKC. “Brush Creek’s purpose is to…