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
Nearly $5M remains in Kansas angel tax credits as Aug 31 deadline looms; startups urged to apply
The clock is ticking for Kansas angel tax credits to be awarded to growing startups in 2018, said Rachèll Rowand. “We are looking for innovative businesses in Kansas that are under five years old,” said Rowand, program manager for the Kansas Department of Commerce, which administers the state’s angel tax program. “The biotechnology industry is…
Startland list reflects big wins across KC — but don’t get comfortable, warns founder
Kansas City has traction, said Davyeon Ross, but the city and its support network must keep the ball moving. “It’s impressive how much these startups and companies are contributing to the community and the economy,” said Ross co-founder and COO of ShotTracker, reacting to data within Startland’s 2018 list of Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies in…
Kansas-vs-Missouri investment record tied to state support for innovation, experts say
The Sunflower State appears to set itself apart based on trends indicated by Startland’s 2018 list of Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies in KC. But does Kansas really have the competitive edge? Kansas companies are on average two years older than Missouri companies; they’ve raised more than four times as much capital than their Missouri counterparts;…
Think globally, invest locally: Are KC dollars worth more than outside capital?
Hometown capital is validating, said Darcy Howe, but it isn’t everything. Half of the firms in Startland’s 2018 list of Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies in Kansas City received 50 percent or more of their funding from KC investors — a promising indicator of local support that suggests to outside investors that a company is ready…
2018 Top VC-Backed Companies in Kansas City List
The Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies in Kansas City List recognizes the growing cohort of growth-stage, venture-backed companies in the Kansas City metro — further illustrating the impact of the countless efforts aimed at boosting entrepreneurship in the region and creating a productive dialogue. The list is expected to be updated and published annually. The 2018…
Made in KC cocktails: Plaza tasting room infuses local spirits into 6 unique concoctions
No rum behind the bar? Ozzie Mendoza Diaz has the recipe for six Made in KC cocktails that feature only spirits from Kansas City-area distillers. And while the metro freely pours gin, vodka and even tequila for the thirsty masses, rum isn’t on the locally made menu — a problem for daiquiri lovers, said Tyler…
KC-based Contract Canvas earns finalist slot for WeWork Creator Awards in Nashville
Returning to WeWork’s Creator Awards to pitch Contract Canvas was a defining moment for Chris Brown, as well as the year-old legal startup, he said. “I worked harder on this pitch than perhaps any pitch I’ve ever given,” said Brown, hours after a flight back from meeting with Creator Awards judges in New York City…
First down for Healthy Hip Hop: Roy Scott teams with Champ for game-changing reboot
If it’s making money, don’t give up on it, said Roy Scott, rapper-turned-founder of Healthy Hip Hop. A new partnership with Champ System — a growing Kansas City sports apparel company with a popular hip hop-inspired mascot — will keep the performance- and tech-based startup in school gymnasiums and beyond as Scott’s company continues a…
Limited edition: Champ System carries sports apparel from the field to Westport
When the choice came down to quick, easy money or grinding out his own brand, Maurice Woodard played the long game. His payoff comes Saturday with the grand opening of Champ System’s first brick-and-mortar ChampZone storefront in Westport. “You’re going to look different because there’s such a limited amount that we’ll release,” he said, noting…
Photos: KC Coworking Day sings virtues of big ideas in startup spaces
KC Coworking Day is a celebration of people whose vision exceeds their circumstances, said Bob Martin. “If you’re an entrepreneur, and you have a vision, I hope your vision is so big that you’re uncomfortable sharing it with everybody — that there’s only a handful of people to whom you’re going to say, ‘This is…