From maker to CEO: Green Bee founder turned KC resources into a brand buzzing online, in stores
When the inventory of vintage goods Rena Krouse sold online started to dwindle, her entrepreneurial roots helped her recreate history. “I grew a huge Instagram following and they would get irritated when I would run out of certain things,” Krou... Read more
Serial entrepreneur Graham Dodge is headed back to the East Coast to lead a tech incubator after exiting his position as CEO of Sickweather, one of the KC-based Sprint Accelerator’s early success stories. “I will be moving back to Maryland for M... Read more
Amid recession talk, job-creating startups need government focus now, Kauffman says
Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a sponsor of Startland News, but this report was produced independently of the Kansas City-based nonprofit. U.S. policymakers must shift their focus from the old ways of doing business to ef... Read more
Chicken N Pickle heading south: Prairiefire location to offer seasonal ice skating, curling
A new entertainment destination is slated for the final phase of Overland Park’s Prairiefire development with North Kansas City-based Chicken N Pickle targeting a fall 2020 opening. “Opening a second location in the area will allow us to share t... Read more
KCultivator Q&A: Kathryn Golden risks it all to laugh at life (but roommates are no joke)
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 ne... Read more
Military members typically make incredible connections with comrades abroad, but when they return to the U.S. as veterans they often struggle to establish a worthwhile network, said Joe Crane. That sense of isolation can inhibit would-be entrepr... Read more
Payit, C2FO making biggest waves, but funding for smaller companies still jumped 81 percent
Editor’s note: The following is the first in a series of analyses of Startland’s list of Kansas City’s Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies. Proof points matter, said John Thomson. “We’re evidence — based on the $100 million-pl... Read more
From being included in selfies to getting tagged on social media posts, carving a digital footprint is the best way for social movements to gain traction, said Thomas Sanchez, CEO and co-founder of Social Driver. “We are the digital heavy hitte... Read more
Adobe for adventure: KC’s VanDoIt offers affordable travel, housing solution nationwide
VanDoIt is no sideshow venture for Brent Kline and his son-in-law, Jared McCauslin. The duo’s custom van and restoration business has a partnership with Ford and customers motoring coast to coast. “We have a couple out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and t... Read more
LOOK INSIDE: Blade & Timber raises the bar (and kitchen) with Power & Light axe throwing
When Blade & Timber officially opens this weekend at Power & Light, the two-year-old startup concept will set a new standard for the growing experiences industry, said Jessie Poole. “We want to show people ‘This is what you should expect... Read more