UMKC Innovation Center

KCSourceLink to pandemic-prompted entrepreneurs: 8 no-cost, low-cost classes to help start a dream business

As Kansas Citians reel from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many are turning to entrepreneurship, reports ecosystem builder KCSourceLink, citing a 367 percent increase in the number of people who reported starting a business.  The nonprofit, which helps new and seasoned entrepreneurs start and grow businesses by connecting them to more than 240 business-building resources in…

Larissa Uredi, No-Where Consultants; and Jenny Miller, KCSourceLink

GotDevKC helps small businesses break into tech talent silo, matching developers to needs

Larissa Uredi and Jenny Miller are playing matchmaker.  Teaming up with KCSourceLink, UMKC Innovation Center, No-Where Consultants and the City of Kansas City Missouri, the duo worked with their teams to create a Kansas City business directory that pairs KC tech talent with startups and businesses in tech-need.  They call it: GotDevKC.  “We had identified…

Rising startup stars among latest wave of Digital Sandbox’s critical COVID-era capital

Four new Digital Sandbox KC companies reflect a wide breadth of technology, diversity and ingenuity that’s not only typical of the proof-of-concept program, but needed as the startup community attempts a rebound amid the ongoing pandemic, said Jill Meyer. “Our current environment has been a challenging one to navigate for many of our entrepreneurs,” said…

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEWKC) 2019, 18th and Vine district

Entrepreneurs identified COVID needs — now GEWKC needs your help to solve them

Challenges exposed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are prompting a more focused slate of programming for Global Entrepreneurship Week Kansas City, Jenny Miller said, as organizers of the community-sourced celebration open applications for virtual “GEWKC Prime-Time” events. Prospective hosts will sign up for events in specific topic areas – such as starting a business, developing…

$100K in microgrants awarded across 23 struggling, but resilient minority businesses

Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial sponsor of Startland News. This report was produced independently by Startland News’ nonprofit newsroom. A COVID-era resiliency fund that quickly closed applications after receiving a deluge of response from entrepreneurs in need has awarded microgrants to 23 minority businesses on both sides of the state…