News Stories
Meet seven founders hoping to pay their bills while changing the world; LaunchKC Social Venture Studio unveils first cohort
Dr. Shelley Cooper held back tears during a nearly four-hour introductory session to the new LaunchKC Social Venture Studio earlier this spring, she said. She’d already found her calling with Diversity Telehealth; now the startup founder had discovered truly mission-aligned colleagues within her cohort. “My focus has always been to bring healthcare to underserved areas…
Kauffman anchors $100M fund to boost minority-led ventures, access to capital
Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial supporter of Startland News. A $100 million fund is expected to help close the wealth gap and better fund BIPOC-led ventures — thanks in part to Kansas City’s own Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Joining forces with Living Cities, the Kauffman Foundation has committed $10 million to…
Esports startup closes $19M Series B, solidifying position as scholastic esports leader
Generation Esports, a Kansas City-based, global community-focused esports organization and tournament platform, announced Tuesday that it secured an additional $19 million in financing, which includes the acquisition of a Santa Monica-based technology leader, Wizard Labs Inc. The Series B round was led by Bay Area-based early-stage investor Altos Ventures — the main investors in online…
Healium wins $50K in NFL pitch competition with play for pro athlete’s brain, heart health
Patrick Mahomes is no longer Missouri’s only MVP in the eyes of the NFL. The organization’s player’s association just crowned a Columbia-based startup the $50,000 winner of its annual pitch contest. In late April, NFLPA Pitch Day brought six diverse-led startups to Las Vegas to compete for prizes in its annual contest. Among them was…
KCSourceLink hires new senior director to champion Kansas City entrepreneur ecosystem
Michael Carmona has ‘led and lived’ the mission of KCSourceLink; now he’ll officially take the resource hub’s helm A longtime advocate for businesses across Kansas City — including some of the metro’s most underserved — Michael S. Carmona understands how entrepreneurship can elevate communities, said Maria Meyers. His new role as the senior director for…