News Stories

PayIt forward: Kansas renews contract with KC tech company that took DMV headaches off the road

For the more than 1 million Kansans who’ve already avoided long lines at the DMV thanks to PayIt’s award-winning digital payments platform, that experience — and others — will only get more convenient with the mobile-first technology’s Sunflower State renewal through at least 2026. PayIt this week announced a new deal with the State of…

Sports tech founder: Team’s years of work laid groundwork for Forbes 30 Under 30 honor

Being named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for sports — alongside athletes like Lamar Jackson, Kyle Kuzma, and Ronald Acuna — adds more fuel to the fire for Austin Barone, the 29-year-old co-founder of Just Play Sports Solutions. “The growth we have experienced over the past few years has been tremendous, so to receive this…

KC Rainbow Tour highlights LGBTQ+ history: You can legislate us, but our stories keep us alive

Kansas City’s LGBTQ+ history is one of its best kept secrets, Joel Barrett said, explaining his journey to share a wealth of local lore with residents and visitors alike. The KC Rainbow Tour — a free, 90-minute self-guided driving tour — uses the VoiceMap app to highlight about 20 destinations with LGBTQ+ significance, including the…

Baller move: With hometown Costco deal taking shape, Mitzi Dulan is getting her own protein-fueled boost — a first paycheck 

Mitzi Dulan’s dream of shopping for her SimplyFUEL protein balls at her local Costco has finally come true, she shared: a goal seven years in the rolling. As of Dec. 1, the Midwest region of the wholesale giant — which includes 114 locations in Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky,…

‘Those are fighting words’: Why Weston Bergmann won’t stop until ‘The Blox’ changes every challenger’s life

With the largest live-in startup competition now available on Amazon Prime Video, the stakes have never been higher and the potential never greater for “The Blox” — a show where the reality TV format is mined to turn entrepreneur education into entertainment. “The demand to be on the show has exponentially grown, and with it…