Made in KC

Lips of Steel

Fund Me, KC: Lips of Steel gives women iron-clad smiles, healthier bodies

Editor’s note: Startland News is continuing its segment to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. If you or your startup is running a crowdfunding campaign, let us know by contacting news@startlandnews.com. Today’s featured campaign — Lips of Steel — spotlights a business co-founded by Kansas City-expat Sofia Gahn, who manages social media for…

Made in KC

2018 Startups to Watch: Made in KC hometown goods hub expands

Editor’s note: Startland News selected the top Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list. The following is one of 2018’s companies. To view the full, ranked list of Startups to Watch, click here. Made in KC Cafe wants customers to sip a Kansas City brew, then peruse what local artisans…

Kansas City startups to watch in 2018

Within Kansas City’s startup community, one question remains as confounding as it is combustible. “What is a startup?” Purists say it’s a disruptive tech firm. Egalitarians maintain the term applies to any early-stage business. Others ask another question: Who cares? The answers — debated in spirited fashion in national media, on Kansas City discussion boards and…

Ozzie Mendoza Diaz, Made in KC Cafe

Made in KC Cafe opens downtown with experimental blend of coffee, retail (Photos)

A hotly anticipated hybrid coffee shop — Made in KC Cafe — poured into downtown Kansas City Friday, marking the fourth store for a home-brewed retailer. “This will be a living, breathing experiment,” said Tyler Enders, Made in KC co-founder. “Made in KC Cafe is a nice way for us to dip our toe into…

Vu Radley and Mark Launiu, Made Urban Apparel

Random origins, but no fluke: MADE grinds to grand expansion

The MADE Mobb is getting used to risk taking. “We know what it’s like to walk into something blind,” laughed Mark Launiu, co-founder at MADE Urban Apparel. Launiu, along with co-founders Vu Radley and Jonathan “JP” Platz, launched MADE in 2012 with the streetwear apparel line selling in just a few pop-up shops. Early partnerships…