A Tampa-based venture capital firm run by three brothers sees investing in Kansas City’s PayIt as part of its long-term strategy. Weatherford Capital first backed PayIt in 2016, through a $4.5 million Series A round led by New York-based Advanta... Read more
Kansas City should be home to second chances, hope, and opportunities, said Johnny Waller Jr. “Kansas City has a rich history of uniting behind its citizens for the common good of its people and that’s what this event is,” said Waller, co-founde... Read more
Kansas City can step onto the runway as a fashion-forward city with the right education and attention, said Jennifer Lapka. Rightfully Sewn’s third annual fashion designer professional development seminar returns Saturday. With its attendance gr... Read more
Rise Up, Get Started competition set to award $1,500 grants; showcase paths from prison to founder
“We took someone’s car at gunpoint,” recalled Marcus Bullock. “It was about a week after my 15th birthday. I was 15 years old and I trembled at the thought of — not a judge —but to be honest, because I had to stand in front of a phone and... Read more
Bungii ‘circles the wagons,’ sending its truck drivers to aid Linwood tornado survivors
One of Kansas City’s top startups dropped its tailgates this week to help Kansans ravaged by a violent twister. “The damage and injuries suffered because of the storms were outside of everybody’s control, but how we react and how our commu... Read more
Signing off his live broadcast, Los Angeles Angels broadcaster Victor Rojas receives a phone call. A fresh order of prints — featuring Hank Aaron’s “755” — have just shipped. The Overland Park native’s apparel startup, Big Fly Gear, has be... Read more
Opportunity Hub is about building strength in numbers, said Rodney Sampson, a feat that can only be accomplished in Kansas City through inclusive and intentional ecosystem building. “The bottom line is that it takes everybody to be a stakeholder... Read more
Rhonda Dolan, on-demand personal assistant Udo honored as Chamber’s Entrepreneur of the Year
A lunchtime affair at the 2019 Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Awards quickly turned from celebratory mingling to shock and awe for Rhonda Dolan. “For [the Chamber] to recognize my efforts over the last year, which have... Read more
Fountain City Fintech’s plan was to put Kansas City on the map, Zach Anderson Pettet said. In the process, the community bank-backed accelerator earned attention in its own right, he said. “A big piece of our plan was to give our cohort a chance... Read more
UMKC Enactus team kicks open front door to Kansas City innovation scene with final four win
As the number of teams left standing in the Enactus U.S. nationals started to dwindle, members of the competitive entrepreneurial development program’s team at the University of Missouri-Kansas City rode a pulsating wave of excitement and emotio... Read more