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
New in KC: Emerging epicenter for entrepreneurs out-cools East Coast for Frosty Tech arrival
Editor’s note: New in KC is an ongoing profile series that highlights newly relocated members of the Kansas City startup community, their reasons for a change of scenery, and what they’ve found so far in KC. Click here to read more New in KC profiles. Opportunities in two Missouri startup hubs easily outbid the East Coast in a fight…
Iconic KC Heart pivots to #StayHomeKC campaign after KCADC’s winning Super Bowl run
Editor’s note: The following is part of Startland News’ ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City’s entrepreneur community, as well as how innovation is helping to drive a new normal in the ecosystem. Click here to follow related stories as they develop. It’s a sign that transcends the times, said Chase McAnulty,…
Rallying relief: Millions in local stimulus dollars planned through public-private, civic efforts from Topeka to KC
Editor’s note: The following is part of Startland News’ ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City’s entrepreneur community, as well as how innovation is helping to drive a new normal in the ecosystem. Click here to follow related stories as they develop. The impacts of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on startups, small businesses and…
Transportant tech turns school buses into mobile WiFi hotspots, sack lunch delivery amid COVID-19 shutdowns
Editor’s note: The following is part of Startland News’ ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City’s entrepreneur community, as well as how innovation is helping to drive a new normal in the ecosystem. Click here to follow related stories as they develop. Educators are getting real as design thinking strategies become the…
White House expected to endorse Kansas City-built COVID-19 exposure tracking app
Editor’s note: The following is part of Startland News’ ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City’s entrepreneur community, as well as how innovation is helping to drive a new normal in the ecosystem. Click here to follow related stories as they develop. The White House is expected to announce its support for…
Demand for Daupler spikes amid COVID-19 as more GovTech customers work from home
Editor’s note: The following is part of Startland News’ ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City’s entrepreneur community, as well as how innovation is helping to drive a new normal in the ecosystem. Click here to follow related stories as they develop. While fears over the economic impact Coronavirus (COVID-19) could have…
Cooking cash-free: Strang Hall leans into tech framework with its OP restaurant incubator
A cashless dining experience at Strang Hall is about more than efficiency, said Jason Roberts. It’s part of the Overland Park chef collective’s engrained tech framework. “It allows us to shut down the place super fast at the end of the day,” explained Roberts, Strang Hall CIO and principal at Edison Factory, the startup builder…
Already managing $25M in user debt, KC fintech startup Destiny banks on New York accelerator
Newly launched accelerator programming could help Kansas City-based Destiny Wealth secure customers and funding as the startup makes key pivots. “This accelerator gives us a brand new network,” said Parker Graham, Destiny co-founder and CEO. Part of the newly launched fintech track of the Nex Cubed Accelerator, Graham and Destiny will spend 16 weeks immersed…
KC startup helps Nashville tornado survivors escape into VR ‘mental health armor’
Locally built virtual reality tools are helping victims cope after a suspected EF4 tornado devastated part of Nashville early Tuesday morning. “We grabbed headsets and we went to the shelters to see if individuals wanted to escape and relax,” Sarah Hill, founder of Healium, explained of the startup’s reaction to the storm that killed more…
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…