Minority-Led Stories
This startup veteran’s new roadway safety tool turns any smartphone into a work-zone inspector
Worker safety within high-traffic roadway construction zones is stalled in the 1970s, said founder Zikomo Fields, driving the vision for a 21st century approach that uses tech to hit the brakes on fatalities. “There’s not a lot of software that is ensuring that these work zones are set up correctly,” said Fields, CEO of Kansas…
Pipeline reveals new founder-first cohort: Meet the entrepreneurs fueling a Midwest innovation surge
With more than a dozen new members joining its fellowship, the Pipeline Entrepreneurs network is growing not only its ranks, Melissa Vincent said; the elite founder-focused program is working to ensure the best of Midwest innovation stays in the region. “We have assembled a powerful group of founders, ranging from deep-tech and life sciences in…
Pipeline plants seeds for ‘best of the best’ emerging founders: Meet its growing Pathfinder cohort
Entrepreneurs tapped for Pipeline’s latest rotation of Pathfinder programming reflect an expanded expression of the elite network’s founding principle: use a purpose-built community to close long-standing gaps for leaders who have historically lacked capital, resources, and networks. A sister program to Pipeline’s Fellowship, Pathfinder targets support to early-stage founders from underserved Midwest communities who often…
AI without WiFi: Ag health innovator muzzles a gatekeeper soiling tech for rural ranchers
MyAnIML’s autonomous edge monitoring system is allowing ranchers to go (or stay) off the grid — addressing a primary barrier preventing them from adopting advanced agricultural technology, explained founder Shekhar Gupta. The Overland Park-based agtech startup — whose patented technology uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict a broad range of total health indicators…
Someone will win $1M listening to this song; how a KC artist juiced MrBeast’s cryptic Super Bowl commercial
It isn’t necessarily an official clue, but one of the many easter eggs tucked within MrBeast’s just-premiered “Million Dollar Puzzle” features a Kansas City plot twist: the “epic” cut of Cheyenne Jolene’s pop-pounding single “Juice.” Launched as part of a Salesforce ad with more than 100 million Super Bowl viewers, the commercial challenges savvy audience…
