Austin Barnes
Executive Editor, Startland News
Austin is a growth-focused business strategist with deep roots in media and storytelling. As executive editor, he leads Startland’s revenue generation, partnership strategy, and market expansion— aligning mission-driven journalism with scalable business models.
With over a decade of experience spanning media, brand development, and strategic communications, Austin has helped grow Startland’s reach beyond Kansas City, launching new monetization efforts and driving engagement with more than 700,000 readers each year. His work bridges entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable growth —positioning Startland as a national model for community-centered media.
Recent Stories by Austin Barnes
How a pair of chicken footstools hatched into a yarn barnyard of sold-out flock-pleasers
What first hatched 11 years ago as a class project at Kansas State University has taken on a colorful and quirky life of its own, Sally Linville said. “We ask people to think a lot about their names,” Linville, founder and creative director of The City Girl Farm, said of the surprisingly important (and often…
Modest to momentum: KC’s mellow marshmallow maker is hopeful for a 2021 comeback
When crisp fall air kept Bill Wald cooped up inside, all he could think about was pouring himself the perfect cup of hot chocolate — topped with a sweet, sticky, marshmallow. But while Wald’s mug was full, his cupboards were bare; with not a single marshmallow in sight. “It was too cold to leave the house….
Rapid response, rapid scaling: Why the feds prescribed ModRN Health to meet nation’s indefinite demand for holistic virtual care
Kansas City-dispensed ModRN Health is scaling up and scrubbing in — working to help the U.S. government provide critical care on demand. The virtual primary care solutions startup has entered into a two-year indefinite demand and indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with the federal government — expanding its offerings beyond primary care and into critical care as…
Checkmate: Inventors’ high-tech chess board unlocks worthy opponent for rookies to rooks
An Overland Park-built connected gaming startup is making moves that run the queen’s gambit — approaching nearly $1 million in crowdfunding and unveiling its mission to make STEM-focused games more approachable. “I think a lot of kids and adults lose interest right away in something like a Rubik’s cube or chess — because it’s difficult,” explained Jeff…
Not all entrepreneurs wear capes: Chamber’s ‘Superstars’ campaign unmasks heroes of KC business scene
A critical need is driving changes to one of Kansas City’s longest-running annual business events: support for every small business — no matter their scale or the neighborhoods in which they belong. “This is a time like no other,” explained Vicky Kulikov, small business director for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, detailing changes to…
Beyond brownies: Chef turns to creativity-infused edibles; bake shop’s high blunted by social media blackout
When James Ryan’s mother holds a piece of paper, it trembles lightly in her hands. “Helping her is what got me going,” Ryan said, opening up about the experience of his mother, Linda San Juan, with a mild neurological condition, and ways it pushed him to find an entrepreneurial solution that could help ease her…
Checking out at home? Hotel Kansas City launches in-room remote working (and an exclusive KC bourbon)
One of Kansas City’s newest luxury hotels is ringing the service bell on a mid-pandemic professional getaway option, unpacking a plan to fill empty rooms with remote workers looking for a break in their COVID-19-restricted routines. And maybe a sip or two of a “resurrected” Kansas City bourbon blend. Hyatt-owned Hotel Kansas City has unveiled…
Bippity, boppity boon for Disney pin collectors: Family uses tech expertise to build trinket trading platform
What might look like nothing more than tiny pieces of artwork pinned on a lanyard or to a jacket has become an unexpected livelihood for Jenn Nickols and her Kansas City-raised family of Disney fanatics. “We went to Disneyland and we discovered pin trading in the parks,” Nickols said of the unique hobby. Over the…
We Got It Covered: LaRonda LaNear feeds her soul (and yours) in a world catered to men
LaRonda LaNear was tired of the working world’s status quo. “I’ve always hated authority and it’s always been men in power, telling me what to do — and it never made sense,” she joked, shedding light on a real problem that robbed her of joy nearly every shift at every job she held. “I took that…
Outside routine: KCK native’s Urban Hikes reveal unseen Kansas City hidden in plain sight
Traditional paths aren’t for Lisa Peña — and her latest business venture (or adventure) is proof, aiming to show Kansas Citians on both sides of the state line an unfiltered version of two cities they might think they already know. “It really perpetuates getting to know your city more,” Peña, founder of Urban Hikes KC, said…