Woman-led Stories

UMKC pitch competition brings validating relief, cash prizes for emerging founders with big ideas

A popular UMKC pitch competition awarded more than $80,000 in cash prizes to student and full-time entrepreneurs Friday — validating new ideas and emerging ventures alike.  “I never saw anything like this when I was in college,” said Dr. Brandy Archie, founder of AskSAMIE, who competed in a category especially for established startups at the University…

Meet the winners of KC’s first grants for micro-businesses; $55K awarded to women of color

A newly launched collaboration between entrepreneur support efforts announced Thursday its first batch of grant winners — positioning four Kansas City micro-businesses for greater success amid a near-universally challenging start for the year. “The first quarter of the year is hard for most businesses, and extremely hard for small businesses. This year was no different…

These ‘Urban Heroes’ are helping evolve downtown KC; here’s why they’re on the right path

In a prelude to today’s celebration of downtown Kansas City’s evolution and momentum, four “urban heroes” were honored Thursday for their passionate work to make downtown a more vibrant place to live, work, and play, organizers said. Winners of the “Urban Hero Awards” ranged from honorees on the east side to the Crossroads and the…

KU spinout earns $180K+ in prizes at business plan competition; students going full-time with startup

LAWRENCE, Kansas — A sustainable engineering startup that emerged from the University of Kansas took fifth place in a recent business competition at Rice University in Houston, earning more than $180,000 in prizes and an opportunity to make history for the founders’ alma mater. Icorium Engineering, the first-ever team from Kansas to compete in the…

The value of professional advice: Benefits of having a financial advisor on your side 

Editor’s note: The perspectives expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. The following is a paid thought leadership piece from The Plaza Group at Morgan Stanley in Leawood, Kansas. In today’s complex and volatile markets, making sound investment and financial decisions is a challenge. Investing on your own can be complicated, overwhelming and risky….