UMKC

Bryan Boots, UMKC's Regnier Institute

Regnier student venture contest widens to high schools, eyeing next generation of innovators

A broader reach is expected to drive the Regnier Venture Creation Challenge in 2020, as the University of Missouri-Kansas City expands the impact-driven contest beyond multiple state lines.  “We hope to see even more regional representation in the competition than we’ve had in past years — which has already been pretty regional,” Bryan Boots, managing director…

Laura Manivong, Fattyhead Keto Crust

Keto crust on the rise: Fattyhead bakes ingredients for expansion into new distribution deals

Laura Manivong is feeding a hunger for keto diet-friendly pizza crusts that already stretches to freezer aisles across the metro — with stores and distributors salivating for more. “Out of the blue, I just called Sam Paris and Paris Brothers,”  Manivong, founder and CEO of Fattyhead Keto Crust, said of how a recent distribution deal…

UMKC celebrates Maria Meyers for driving social entrepreneurship, ecosystem building in KC

Kansas City’s most tenacious advocate, Maria Meyers has built far more than a legacy for herself, proclaimed Mary Bloch. “I first met Maria Meyers in the mid-90s when we were both involved in the renovation of Union Station,” Bloch, civic leader and daughter-in-law of H&R Bloch founder Henry W. Bloch, said as she recognized Meyers,…

Wrap up: Miss FUND Conference Kansas City? Don’t forget to craft your narrative

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Brandon Warrington is an attorney at Husch Blackwell in Omaha. This op-ed is sponsored by Husch Blackwell. Kansas City’s inaugural FUND Conference buzzed with startups and emerging companies, from social ventures still in the ideation phase to companies having just finished their Series…

Tin Ho, Lean Start Lab; photo courtesy of the University of Missouri-Kansas City

KCultivator Q&A: Tin Ho skewers failure, beetle larvae on path to building stronger founders

Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The KCultivator Series is sponsored by Plexpod, a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes. Startup challenges aren’t limited to products and processes, said Tin Ho.  “My…