Salem Habte

Techstars KC returns: Meet 10 startups bringing diverse solutions to the rebooted accelerator 

The hotly anticipated Techstars Kansas City 2020 accelerator class features startups enabling greater transparency and access in healthcare, the food supply, and justice for all, said Lesa Mitchell. Two of the ventures are based in St. Louis. “We’re also welcoming companies with new platforms and new business models that will attract and facilitate broader talent…

UMKC Enactus

UMKC’s Enactus team just earned its best-ever finish at national entrepreneurship expo

Tenacious teams get results — especially when obstacles become motivators, said the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Enactus team, fresh off a second-place finish in the USA Enactus Exposition.  “It was one of the most incredible things in the world,” said Ali Brandolino, vice president of projects and incoming president of UMKC Enactus, which focuses on…

Fountain City Fintech 2019 cohort

Party for the payoff: Fountain City Fintech sets Oct. 15 demo day, KC celebration

Kansas City’s ongoing fintech momentum deserves more than a nod from analysts and trend watchers, said Zach Pettet, announcing plans for an Oct. 15 demo day that’s already taking shape as a community celebration. “We need an excuse to rally together and celebrate everything that’s happened over the past few months — especially in the…

Andrea Savage, Salem Habte, Mark Babcock, Alec Rodgers, and Ali Brandolino, UMKC Enactus

UMKC Enactus team kicks open front door to Kansas City innovation scene with final four win

As the number of teams left standing in the Enactus U.S. nationals started to dwindle, members of the competitive entrepreneurial development program’s team at the University of Missouri-Kansas City rode a pulsating wave of excitement and emotion, recalled Ali Brandolino. “I started crying,” added Brandolino, UMKC Enactus vice president of operations. “It was the most…