Tag: kansas city

GRWM: Founder has more than swag; his platform matches companies with merch Gen Z will actually wear

admin — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 20:19:14 +0000

A lot of branded swag gets buried at the bottom of a drawer after being collected from a special event or trade show — never again to see the light of day, Ivan Hadzhiev said, noting his new startup is helping companies think outside the bag when they design and distribute promotional products.

Annie Austen’s newest store opens, building around ‘an actual human being’ and her gut instincts

admin — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 18:42:12 +0000

That glow within downtown Overland Park isn’t just coming from the freshly stocked shelves at the new Annie Austen storefront; it’s yet another product of the pandemic-pivot entrepreneur’s contagious positivity — lightening the mood just steps away from a massive farmers market overhaul.

Meet the competition: AltCap Your Biz unveils finalists for pitch event, $60K in awards

admin — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:48:52 +0000

A popular fall pitch competition for emerging entrepreneurs is returning to Union Station in November with AltCap today announcing 10 finalists for $60,000 in cash prizes — ranging from Kansas City’s first mobile matcha cart to specialty wellness retailers and a dog toy innovator.

This voter-approved investor backed Zhou B Arts, KD Academy and a new hotel at 18th and Vine; now it has a new home

admin — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 15:47:37 +0000

EDCKC absorbing initiative built to strengthen KC’s urban core after $60M in investments

A move to transition the Central City Economic Development (CCED) program under the umbrella of a larger KCMO impact agency is expected to boost the urban core-focused initiative’s ability to uplift both the people and the places at the heart of Kansas City, officials said Monday.

Hidden costs of grief: Chef’s murder illustrates economic toll of gun violence in KC

admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 02:31:45 +0000

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by The Beacon, a member of the KC Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, and Missouri Business Alert.

‘The American dream is the Midwest’: LaunchKC powers next generation of startup job creators

admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 02:30:10 +0000

Editor’s note: The following is part of an ongoing feature series exploring impacts of initiatives within the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City through a paid partnership with EDCKC.

Relocating to Kansas City after winning a LaunchKC grant — and the community and infrastructure support that comes with it — gives Russel Karim’s startup a centralized hub from which it can reach coast to coast, and even global partners.

KC GIFT launches ‘Vibe the City’ passport to showcase Black-owned arts, entertainment venues

admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 00:34:30 +0000

A newly published mini-guide to Black-owned arts and entertainment venues across Kansas City is expected to push community members deeper into the metro’s rich Black business ecosystem, said Brandon Calloway, highlighting a range of cultural and nightlife destinations.

“Vibe the City” passports are available now at the G.I.F.T. Business Center at 5008 Prospect Ave., as well as at select restaurants.

Roz audits its path to $2.15M in early funding; how KC helped this AI startup scale its potential

admin — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 16:47:06 +0000

A series of funding wins is boosting a Kansas City startup’s efforts to automate the most complex — and tedious — parts of compliance work, drawing from the co-founder’s own pain points and resources from a server-full of local entrepreneur support initiatives.

Trially secures $4.7M seed round, launches ‘Margo’ AI solution to clear patient bottleneck

admin — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 11:00:11 +0000

A Kansas City startup’s AI-first platform is expected to save time — and patient lives — thanks to a successful seed round for its clinical trial recruitment tech, explained Kyle McAllister, noting his startup’s solution could help speed up access to treatment by years.

She scored music on Netflix and LA’s star-studded stages; now BodaciousThang is getting vulnerable in KC

admin — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:47:44 +0000

When Cheyenne Jolene steps on stage in the shoes of her alter ego, the singer-songwriter’s voice carries both raw emotion and unapologetic truth.

Performing as BodaciousThang, Jolene blends R&B, hip hop, rock, and soul into what she describes as “genre bending” music. Her songs are steeped in authenticity and storytelling, offering listeners intimate glimpses into her personal journey.

SNAP cuts are ‘worse than they look on paper’: Food access advocates warn shelves could go bare overnight

admin — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:19:11 +0000

Chef Shanita McAfee-Bryant doesn’t mince words about perceptions of the hungry Kansas Citians she serves daily through her award-winning culinary social venture.

“These are the people who — if you listen to the rhetoric — are deemed ‘lazy,’” the founder of The Prospect KC’s NourishKC Community Kitchen told Startland News. “We know the narratives being painted about this community are just not true because we’re there with them every single day.”

KCMO slashes fees for outdoor dining permits, launches dining trail for grant winning projects

admin — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 20:12:42 +0000

Kansas City has officially eliminated outdoor dining permit fees, reducing the cost from $850 to zero, thanks to the momentum created by a city-led initiative to encourage investment in outdoor dining experiences, city leaders announced this week, unveiling new plans to promote funded businesses and their projects.

World Cup will produce KC small biz millionaires in just weeks, leaders say, but it’s only the start

admin — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 00:11:21 +0000

Kansas City can’t look at the World Cup in 2026 as one big event where businesses are going to make good money for a while, and then everything goes back to normal, said Wes Rogers.

Missouri Starters Coalition debuts effort to boost homegrown jobs, future founders

admin — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 23:10:27 +0000

Entrepreneurs across Missouri gained a new champion this week as regional and national advocates launched a new coalition to support builders in the face of systemic, confidence-shaking roadblocks as they seek to drive job creation and higher lifetime incomes.

Gatekeepers hate to see them coming: Why Back2KC leaders think these outsiders could be the next best Kansas Citians

admin — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 19:42:27 +0000

A Kansas City homecoming movement with a track record of sparking real relocations and startup investment is gearing up for its annual gathering — welcoming expatriates and newcomers alike as it seeks to deepen ties between the city and its far-flung alumni.