Startups Stories

Jeremy Elias, TrackMy Solutions

TrackMy Vaccines allows patients to record COVID-19 vaccine reactions; use real-time data to ID trends

With millions of Americans set to be inoculated with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine this year, Kansas City startup TrackMy Solutions transformed its technology into a web app with which patients can track their vaccine reactions, Jeremy Elias said. “There’s a system known as VAERS, or Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, that exists today for any…

Valentine Osakwe and Zerryn Gines, Peep Connect

How challenging norms could be Black founders’ key to overcoming lingering funding gap

When authenticity and startup culture collide, Black founders and entrepreneurs of color often don’t see the same opportunities as their white counterparts, said Daniel Smith, contributing to a gap in funding that splits along racial lines. “I talk a certain way; I have different mannerisms; I like to dress a certain kind of way —…

Joshua Lewis, UpDown Nightlife

UpDown Nightlife set to relaunch app; secures lead investor for $500K seed round 

When COVID-19 turned out the lights on nightlife in 2020, Joshua Lewis didn’t go into panic mode, he said. The persistent founder used the time to flesh out his app’s tech platform — and in the process found a key funder for UpDown Nightlife. “This is our first real round of funding where we’re able to…

Rob Magee, Q39; Photo courtesy of Q39

Q39 savors doubled sales as barbecue-craving Kansas City drives pandemic survival to-go

Kansas City’s restaurant scene will come roaring back in 2021, predicted Rob Magee, serving up a look back at Q39’s wildest year in business and offering his take on what’s made the fast-casual barbecue joint so popular with customers.  “We’re going to get through this pandemic. Kansas City will rise right back up to the…

Tape Eater by Mixtape Monkey

Mixtape Monkey brings old school file sharing into 2021 with Tape Eater music app

 Editor’s note: This article is underwritten by Plexpod — a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes — but was independently produced by Startland News. Reviving the nostalgia of the early 2000s music industry, Mark Serrano designed an app where users can file share “mixtapes” straight from their…