A fresh face to the startup stage, Zachary Oshinbanjo left Monday’s Pure Pitch Rally with the most-funded venture of the event — taking home more than a third of the day’s nearly $90,000 in cash prizes. A U.S. Army veteran, Oshinbanjo pitched “l... Read more
Brands from Poio to Made in KC booked for new airport; $1.5B expected through the gate over 15 years
Local and minority-owned vendors selected to operate shops in Kansas City’s new airport terminal are more than up to the task, said Carlos Mortera, emphasizing the power of adding flavor to the highly anticipated project. “Most airports aren’t f... Read more
Fund Me, KC: UMKC alums aim to transform recycled plastics into functional home décor
Startland News is continuing its “Fund Me, KC” series to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses or lend a helping hand to others. This is an opportunity for business owners and innovators — like Nicole Dover and Ton... Read more
Tile Five climbs higher with $1.5M seed round for Approach spinout, set to onboard 200+ gyms by year’s end
A $1.5 million funding round for Kansas City-based Approach is expected to further develop the future of gym operations — a growing industry, primed for disruption, Andrew Potter said. “Gym operations are becoming more and more efficient and ar... Read more
Meet six newly funded companies helping get KC’s economy ‘back on track’ with Digital Sandbox
Digital Sandbox funding is a game-changer for CuePlay — one of six companies selected for the proof of concept program’s latest cohort — said founder Rebecca Simons, who first launched the idea two years ago at Techstars’ Startup Weekend in Kans... Read more
Blockchain to beef: Why one serial innovator traded the slow pace of corporate life for another muzzle
Shekhar Gupta learned early that life comes with two approaches for overcoming challenges: accept the problem and move on or figure out a better way of solving it. The Kansas City serial entrepreneur has no shortage of ideas for finding solution... Read more
Why one chef calls city’s airport vote a ‘life-changing event for small businesses in Kansas City’
A freshly stamped plan to bring more than a dozen women- and minority-owned businesses — among 40 local brands — to Kansas City’s new airport terminal is a surreal turn for Laronda Lanear, the Kansas City chef said, noting the project’s opportun... Read more
Editor’s note: The following story originally published by CityScene KC, an online news source focused on Greater Downtown Kansas City. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for the weekly CityScene KC email review. The first... Read more
Sustainable style: Pop-up jewelry maker adds final touch of flare through zero-waste designs
Everything in Adrianna Stranak’s life seems to happen a bit haphazardly, she said, laughing. “When I started making jewelry, creating a business was not my initial goal,” shared Stranak, who teaches kindergarten in Kansas City, Kansas. “For me,... Read more
Erkios confirms KC headquarters moving to St. Louis; gears up for 2022 product launch
While vendors for Erkios Systems were shut down during the pandemic, Sean Null and his team got busy learning the necessary skills to keep their startup going, he recalled. “We were doing a lot of the work on our own; so when the world started m... Read more