Dontavious Young is betting on the next generation. As founder of Equal Minded Café and the Big Ideas Foundation, Young is creating space for high school students to build businesses, find purpose, and take ownership of their futures. “I want to... Read more
The acquisition of Kansas City-built Athlete Network — a platform designed to foster lifelong connections between student-athletes and athletic alumni — deepens the startup’s work a decade after it launched, its founder said. “This is a huge mil... Read more
It’s a few days into AJ’s Bar & Grill’s soft launch in downtown Kansas City. Managing partner Matthew Hill stands by the kitchen window, fielding lunch orders for both to-go, dine-in and delivery (he was running some orders to nearby o... Read more
It’s rare for a regional venture capital firm like KCRise Fund to invest in an entrepreneur just out of college, the Midwest-focused firm told Startland News, detailing the remarkable talent that led it to join an early round for Joseph Tutera’s... Read more
Mel Engel and Todd Eaton are now taking a second stage, opening their family business — a shop known for made-on-site ice cream and sorbet — in a new Northland city after charting quick success in their hometown. Alice Scooper’s Ice Cream Co. is... Read more
Editor’s note: The following story was produced through a paid partnership with MOSourceLink, which boasts a mission to help entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state of Missouri grow and succeed by providing free, easy access to the h... Read more
A decades-long effort to grow inclusive entrepreneurial communities by strengthening access to critical resources began as a grassroots movement in Kansas City, said Maria Meyers, whose work recently earned her global recognition — and a rare ho... Read more
Long-term community change comes one meal at a time, acknowledged one of Attane Health’s biggest supporters, reflecting on the Kansas City startup’s growth from the “spark of an idea to a full-fledged solution” — ultimately earning its founder a... Read more
Eight newly announced research grants from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation are expected to help catalyze research-based efforts aimed at growing equitable economic mobility in Kansas City, regionally, and nationally. More than $5.8 million... Read more
Keisha Jordan didn’t know what saying “yes” to a job in Kansas City would unlock when she first relocated in 2020, she said, reflecting on a full-circle moment Tuesday after winning a top arts honor from the KC Chamber during its celebration of... Read more
