Tag: kansas city

UMKC pitch challenge awards $95K+ for ‘entrepreneur state of mind’ in and outside the classroom

admin — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 13:49:52 +0000

Winning $15,000 in Friday’s pitch competition at UMKC’s Regnier Venture Creation Challenge felt like the culmination of years of hard work and development, said Iyshia Sims.

“Oh my gosh, I’m just so proud of myself,” said Sims, founder of ‘Amir’acle Body Butters and More. “I felt really good after the pitch, I have pitched a lot over the years, and I’ve seen myself grow.”

InvestMidwest returns to St. Louis May 6-7 for Midwest venture capital forum’s 25th year

admin — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 12:06:07 +0000

ST. LOUIS — About 50 startups — including some of Kansas City’s most high-profile emerging companies — are expected to pitch to more than 100 investors May 6-7 when the InvestMidwest conference turns St. Louis into the gateway to innovation.

Family’s Japanese-inspired fabric gift wrap hits a home run with new fans (and an iconic American baseball team)

admin — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:31:29 +0000

At the intersection of heritage and innovation, a Kansas City family business is pitching a new way to gift, through vibrant fabric package wraps that carry both meaning and intention — even catching the attention of an unexpected collaborator: Major League Baseball.

Ball Pits, Smell Tests, and Ring Toss: Everything You Need to Know About the Museum of BBQ

admin — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Tech veterans launch startup studio to back next-wave SaaS products with founder-led thinking

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 21:16:55 +0000

Backed by years of entrepreneurial wins, the team behind Full Scale and the exited Stackify just announced a new product studio and startup lab concept — purpose-built for what founder Matt Watson called the post-playbook SaaS era.

Arts summit’s three-year move to KC celebrates flyover country creatives (and the entrepreneurs who make it)

admin — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 20:31:47 +0000

Great art stands on its own merits, said Diane Scott, but if the artist behind a piece can’t or doesn’t sell their vision to the world, their expression hasn’t achieved its goal.

“Nobody makes art to not share it with other people,” added Scott, director of artist services for the Kansas-City based Mid-America Arts Alliance, describing the intersection of arts and entrepreneurship — the business of getting creativity to the masses. “You have to make good art and have to communicate it well.”

Landlord insurance startup using $30M round to invest in KC team; here’s where its hiring

admin — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 12:00:45 +0000

An eight-figure funding injection is expected to allow Steadily to fuel growth in its greatest asset: talent, shared OverlandPark-based co-founder and COO Datha Santomieri.

Community honors ‘relentless storm’ of Chicano culture (starting with its unsung women)

admin — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 21:22:57 +0000

An emotional celebration of Chicana women leaders, artists, and advocates earlier this month centered on honoring resilience and reclaiming identity — something Deanna Muñoz once felt pressured to hide.

Business on the rebound: KC entrepreneur brings platform for buying authentic jerseys back from the ice

admin — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 19:07:36 +0000

A new player in Kansas City is shaking up the sports memorabilia scene. Aidan Scurato is breathing new life into Rebound Jerseys, a once-dormant Canadian marketplace for hockey jerseys — transforming it into a trusted platform for buying and selling authenticated gear.

Fortune 500 company says it’s bringing 2,000 jobs paying $100K to OP’s former Sprint campus

admin — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 18:36:38 +0000

No better proof that ‘Kansas City has the capacity and competitiveness to meet this moment’

A globe-spanning fintech leader’s plan to create a new strategic hub in Overland Park is expected to include a $4 billion payroll investment in the Kansas City region over the next decade, the company said this week.

Why executing even the greatest startup idea first requires sales (and beyond-superficial curiosity)

admin — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 17:41:36 +0000

That sexy pitch alone might not get your startup its first customer, said Lee Walter, noting that lasting success relies heavily on jumping outside the vaunted “ideation” phase to truly question a venture’s value.

Walter’s revelation — born from a sales career that stretched from selling school lockers and coffee beans to commercial espresso machines on the global market (plus a stint in investment banking) — requires a startup leader to set aside their egos and listen to their inner salesman.

The Hillstoning of New York

admin — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 11:00:04 +0000

Illustration: Arnaud Boutin

It’s Sunday night and Ashwin Deshmukh, an owner of Jean’s in Nolita, is sitting down at the bar of the Hillstone on Park Avenue while taking in the scene.

Mr K finalist reveal: Meet the 10 contenders for KC Chamber’s Small Business of the Year

admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 17:19:13 +0000

The KC Chamber just announced the 10 finalists for its prestigious 2025 Small Business of the Year honor — setting the stage for a two-month campaign for selected entrepreneurs that ends this summer with one company crowned the Mr. K Award winner.

USDA approves KC biotech startup’s secret weapon in the fight against cancer in dogs

admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 14:54:47 +0000

Full USDA approval of a Kansas City startup’s bone cancer therapy for dogs reflects a more-than-decade-long commitment to improving the lives of pets and their families, said Tammie Wahaus, CEO of ELIAS Animal Health.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics recently approved the first-in-class ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI) treatment for canine osteosarcoma — making the startup’s biotech solution now available at about 100 authorized treatment centers across the U.S.

This (still) ain’t luck: How a decade of grit proved these urban heroes are ‘more than just clothes’

admin — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 14:04:28 +0000

MADE MOBB’s ‘collaboration is community’ mindset takes the stage as streetwear brand named an Urban Hero

Earning the title “Urban Hero” allows the owners of MADE MOBB an opportunity to publicly give themselves flowers, they said, sharing a twist on the slogan from one of their most popular tees.