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
Investors laud emerging founder’s expertise as CarePilot logs $2.5M for AI healthtech tool
It’s rare for a regional venture capital firm like KCRise Fund to invest in an entrepreneur just out of college, the Midwest-focused firm told Startland News, detailing the remarkable talent that led it to join an early round for Joseph Tutera’s digital health startup. Overland Park-based CarePilot recently announced a $2.5 million seed round led…
How this startup founder earned $200K in unrestricted, trust-based funding to transform KC’s relationship to food
Long-term community change comes one meal at a time, acknowledged one of Attane Health’s biggest supporters, reflecting on the Kansas City startup’s growth from the “spark of an idea to a full-fledged solution” — ultimately earning its founder a game-changing funding boost. The St. Louis-based Missouri Foundation for Health this month announced its inaugural Spark Prize…
Founder’s resolve earns KC mental health practice ‘Small Business of the Year’ title
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. Kansas City’s newest Small Business of the Year is on a years-long journey to create safe, inclusive spaces for its clients and team, the resilient entrepreneur behind…
Call for Heartists: Sprawling sculpture project needs storytellers willing to open portal to KC’s soul
When the Parade of Hearts returns in April 2026, as many as 150 pieces of Kansas City’s story will be scattered across the metro — offering a summer-long scavenger hunt of the region’s identity for hometown fans and World Cup revelers alike. “The Parade of Hearts is more than public art — it’s a catalyst…
KCMO sets aside $1.4M to get small biz, artists in the front door before World Cup arrives
A city-led and funded effort to fill vacant storefronts in downtown Kansas City ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is still taking shape, officials said this week, noting that crafting the infrastructure for the program alongside private property owners is expected to extend through the summer. “The World Cup is just the beginning of…
How tech can put humanity back in hiring: Interview app brings beta test to Kansas City
Automation in the hiring process is leaving critical details — and quality, diverse talent — out of the jobs market, said Chelsea Parker, a Kansas City human resources innovator whose new Interview app aims to reconnect recruiters and applicants on a human level. “Interview is the TikTok of LinkedIn,” said Parker, the HR trendsetter behind creating an…
They just wanted someone to notice: 10 years (and an exit) later, the first founders featured in Startland News have come 360
Editor’s note: Startland News — officially launched May 4, 2015 — is marking its 10-year anniversary this spring. As part of this observance, the nonprofit newsroom is taking a look back at pivotal moments in its decade-long run, as well as impact along the way. Longtime editor-in-chief Tommy Felts caught up with Stuart Ludlow and David…
Kauffman earmarks $32M in grants to boost entrepreneurship, workforce, education efforts
Just-announced Kauffman Foundation funding for a cohort of 27 organizations — each focused on advancing economic mobility in Kansas City — reflects the grantees’ “relentless commitment to innovation and equity,” said Allison Greenwood Bajracharya. “Rather than being defined by the challenges our communities face, they’re defining what’s possible — building on the brilliance and resilience…
Mr K finalist reveal: Meet the 10 contenders for KC Chamber’s Small Business of the Year
The KC Chamber just announced the 10 finalists for its prestigious 2025 Small Business of the Year honor — setting the stage for a two-month campaign for selected entrepreneurs that ends this summer with one company crowned the Mr. K Award winner. “Small businesses remain the driving force of Kansas City’s economy, and we couldn’t…
USDA approves KC biotech startup’s secret weapon in the fight against cancer in dogs
Full USDA approval of a Kansas City startup’s bone cancer therapy for dogs reflects a more-than-decade-long commitment to improving the lives of pets and their families, said Tammie Wahaus, CEO of ELIAS Animal Health. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics recently approved the first-in-class ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI) treatment for canine osteosarcoma…