Startland News Staff
Sometimes we share credit. The “Staff Writer” byline appears on stories reported, written, or edited collaboratively by members of the Startland News team — especially for quick hits and breaking news.
Recent Stories by Startland News Staff
This $250M bid to revive a Midtown historic landmark adds living spaces to Westport school campus
A newly announced development — the largest mixed-use project in Midtown — is expected to bring fresh activity to the vacant hallways of a historic Kansas City school, further anchoring community within a multi-building, street-spanning campus that already includes a Plexpod coworking and events venue. “Once home to students, athletes, and artists, the latest project…
Facility Ally raises $700K to take its sports venue, ‘eatertainment’ SAAS platform national
Facility Ally, a sports facility and “eatertainment” management software company, has closed a $700,000 pre-seed funding round led by Slabotsky Family Office. The funds are expected to be used to build out Facility Ally’s development, sales and marketing teams. For sports facilities and leagues, Facility Ally provides a central hub for reservations, memberships, payment, waivers…
Healium augments funding with $3.6M seed round, adds Mayo Clinic deal
Healium, a virtual and augmented reality biofeedback company, announced Monday one of the largest private equity raises for a women-owned business in mid-Missouri history. The startup — which transforms bio-data from any fitness tracker into immersive, reactive media — has also entered into a know-how license agreement with Mayo Clinic. A “virtual firefly release” using mobile…
Popular airport vending machines stocked with local maker goods won’t make the move to new terminal
When Kansas City’s new terminal opens Feb. 28 — booked full of local brands — a retail startup that weathered nearly a decade (and a pandemic that grounded much of the nation’s air travel) at the airport won’t be among those selling KC goods at the new shopping destination, its founders announced this week. SouveNEAR…
Rebooted Fashion Arts Fund takes the runway with iconic KC founder’s foot on the pedal
The Kansas City fashion community is getting a boost thanks to a nationwide fashion initiative and a newly announced relaunch of a local fashion organization — led by an iconic veteran of KC’s fashion community. The Kansas City Fashion Council announced Thursday its rebranding as Fashion Arts Fund with Jennifer Lapka, longtime Kansas City entrepreneur…
Strength in numbers: Chamber’s Superstars bench surges to 2,500 KC small businesses
Editor’s note: The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is a non-financial partner of Startland News, which serves as the media partner for the Small Business Superstars program. A new round of nominations and submissions have brought the KC Chamber’s roster of Small Business Superstars to more than double its initial size — further amplifying…
KC-based Tico Sports is headed back to the Super Bowl too; this time play-by-playing both sides
A Kansas City production is returning to the Super Bowl Sunday as the official Spanish language broadcaster for both the Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s Tico Sports’ third trip to the big game — but the first where the Latino-owned company will broadcast for both competing teams. “We are incredibly thankful for our relationships…
10 startups tapped for K-State accelerator; heavy emphasis on KC founders (and a chance at $100K in grants)
MANHATTAN, Kansas — Half of the entrepreneurs in a new K-State accelerator cohort hail from Kansas City with other founders joining from Topeka, Wichita and across the nation. The Kansas State University College of Business Administration has selected 10 high-potential startup ventures for participation in the Center for Entrepreneurship Accelerator program. The program is intended…
$2M grant expected to fuel workforce training, equity hub led by BioNexus KC, Missouri bioscience partners
The Kansas City region must level up to meet the demand of the expanding life sciences industry and support underserved job seekers, said Dennis Ridenour, announcing a $2 million in federal funds aimed at boosting readiness to fill talent shortages. The funding award will establish the “Bioscience Industry Occupational Training and Equity Collaborative Hub for…
Rep. Davids rejoins small biz committee amid leadership party switch in U.S. House
In her return to Congress after re-election in November, Sharice Davids will serve as a voice for Kansas on three major drivers of the state’s economy, particularly in the newly-redrawn Kansas Third district, the congresswoman’s office said Tuesday. Late Monday night, U.S. Rep. Davids, D-Kansas, was granted a waiver to again serve on the House…