Startups Stories
Hemp startup founders cultivate Year Round partnership in light of growing interest
A casual supply run produced more than equipment for United American Hemp; the team behind the Olathe startup walked away co-owners of another new venture. “We hit it off and invested both time and money in [the] business. … Since then [its] exploded in revenue,” Michael Wilson, director of research and development at United American…
Photos: Culture pops as Kritiq puts KC’s fashion family on the runway
The evolution of the Kritiq fashion show — from a one-night event to a full weekend showcasing up-and-coming artists and fashion designers in streetwear and high fashion — was an intentional effort to reflect Kansas City’s booming creative landscape, said Mark Launiu. “The culture [of Kansas City] is changing and we have to be a…
More than a podcast host: Matt Watson’s Stackify raises $6M in rapid scaling maneuver
Stackify expects growth on the heels of a freshly announced $6 million funding raise, explained Matt Watson. “We have still never taken any outside, institutional VC money. All the [investments] we’ve raised have been from local Kansas City investors, which is pretty cool,” Watson, founder and CEO, said noting the company’s recent raise was a…
KCultivator Q&A: Dan Smith coaches retail potential from within east side entrepreneurs
Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The KCultivator Series is sponsored by Plexpod, a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes. As Dan Smith looked around Kansas City, he saw his hometown continuously…
Social Side Effect: Kilee Nickels says Instagram built Nickel & Suede (and the proof is in the postings)
Editor’s note: Social Side Effect is an ongoing profile series that identifies the intersection between social influencing and entrepreneurship When customers care, business is better and social media proves it, said Kilee Nickels. “Having Instagram, having Facebook, having a blog, definitely got our business started and kept us going for so long,” added Nickels, CEO…
