Tommy Felts
Editor-In-Chief, Startland News
Tommy is editor-in-chief for Startland News, a Kansas City-based nonprofit newsroom that uses storytelling to elevate the region’s startup community of entrepreneurs, innovators, hustlers, creatives and risk-takers.
Under Tommy’s leadership, Startland News has expanded its coverage from a primarily high-tech, high-growth focus to a more wide-ranging and inclusive look at the faces of entrepreneurism, innovation and business.
Before joining Startland News in 2017, Tommy worked for 12 years as an award-winning newspaper journalist, designer, editor and publisher. He was named one of Editor & Publisher magazine’s top “25 Under 35” in 2014.
Recent Stories by Tommy Felts
Experts: Coastal VCs getting FOMO on Kansas City; PayIt’s $100M+ investment proves it
Landing more than $100 million in funding is no small feat for PayIt — or any startup, John Thomson said with a mix of humble confidence. “Wins beget wins, and it helps to build the ecosystem,” said Thomson, CEO and co-founder of PayIt. Click here to read more about PayIt’s investment from Insight Partners. For Thomson,…
‘Transformative’ $100M+ investment for PayIt means KC GovTech startup will boost hiring
A massive investment from a New York-based venture capital and private equity firm is expected to help push Kansas City GovTech startup PayIt to 120 employees by the end of 2019, John Thomson said. “We’re already growing at a pretty good clip, and this will really help us accelerate R&D, serving more clients, and putting…
Time for apathy is over, Condon says; Advocates make business case for Pre-K funding
Kansas City’s unequal playing field for children and inconsistent access to early education programs has a distinct ripple effect into the business community, Matt Condon said, advocating for Mayor Sly James’ Pre-K for KC initiative. “I don’t make any apologies about what a great city this is. But on this issue in particular, we are…
KCMO mayoral vote: Confused? Undecided? Seven FAQs for those still on the bubble
Amid nearly three dozen Kansas City mayoral candidate forums, Startland readers raised a round of questions — some easy to answer, others loaded — but each invested in seeing who will emerge from the shadow of popular, bow tie-wearing mayor, Sly James, to lead KCMO. Here’s a breakdown of the most frequently asked questions about…
Freightquote, Edison Factory founder-turned-investor touts ‘work ethic worth investing in’
Raise and raise relentlessly. Because in business, the sun won’t shine every day, Tim Barton told a room filled Wednesday morning with entrepreneurs and investors eagerly seeking support and insight at the 20th InvestMidwest Venture Capital Forum. The former CEO of Freightquote, who saw a $365 million exit for the company in 2014 before launching…
Fast track Missouri Hyperloop: Bipartisan support for 670-mph travel builds speed
It isn’t just a pipe dream. The arrival of bipartisan state and federal support for high-speed, cross-region travel means the much-anticipated Missouri Hyperloop project continues to shoot forward, Ryan Weber said. “For businesses, this could be a huge opportunity to create a new industry, attract new businesses and leverage a much larger workforce,” Weber, KC…
Wooing a NextGen workforce? Millennials, Gen-Z will turn down jobs missing these 3 elements
Employment is always a give-and-take scenario, said Ross Quinn, but today’s complex NextGen workforce wants more than a paycheck for time spent on the clock. Millennials and Gen-Z workers often won’t feel satisfied with a position or a potential job if they aren’t given significant freedom and trust in exchange for the skill sets and…
No Coast winners: Two rapidly growing KC tech startups championed
Tech leadership and innovation know No Coast, said Ryan Weber Friday night as the KC Tech Council revealed its inaugural award show honorees. Beneath the glittering chandeliers of the Abbott luxury event space — and surrounded by elaborate set pieces and balloon art — Weber and the KC Tech Council team announced winners in four No…
DEG execs reflect on $100M+ exit: Join an armada before success puts a target on your back
Riding into battle solo won’t help a company win the war that is business, Neal Sharma told a crowd of ACG Kansas City members gathered to hear details behind the exit of homegrown marketing giant DEG. “One of the things we realized three years ago — about DEG — is it was a completely successful, self…
KC Rising update: Kansas City falling short in economic race with peer markets
Bill Gautreaux sounded the alarm with a mixed refrain meant as a KC Rising call to action: “We’re good, but we’re not good enough.” Throughout a recent KC Rising update on the region’s economic growth, Gautreaux and other KC Rising leaders championed Kansas City’s efforts to move the needle, while also lamenting the slow speed…