Tag: kansas city

Meet the Lumi Award winners: Digital Health KC salutes pioneers leading innovation trends

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 23:29:57 +0000

A lot of smart investors are betting on artificial intelligence, said Dick Flanigan, telling a crowd gathered Thursday at Digital Health Day that even if AI doesn’t turn every startup that uses it into a multi-million-dollar company, the technology still will fundamentally reshape health care.

Meta’s billion-dollar KC data center just came online; here’s what the region expects it to generate

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 16:02:12 +0000

As Meta officially flipped the switch this week on its Kansas City Data Center — making the $1 billion project part of the company’s global infrastructure — the move positions the metro as a hub for cutting-edge tech, said Quinton Lucas.

Bean around the block: How this Westport coffee shop is cherry picking roasts from its own farm in the Andes

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 15:26:19 +0000

A hemisphere away from Brett Janssen’s former job at General Motors in Kansas City’s Northland, the now-budding Westport coffee shop owner found a fresh batch of opportunities: his wife, business partner and a transcontinental farm-to-cup Columbian coffee operation.

Attic with global ambitions: Luxury brand builds from humble origins to Material Opulence

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 19:42:40 +0000

Renauld Shelton II sees power stitched into the seams of fashion, the Kansas City designer said, detailing the dynamic pairing of apparel and pride that grounds his luxury clothing brand.

“It’s a confidence builder. When you look good, you feel good,” said Shelton, founder and CEO of Material Opulence. “It sets you up for success.”

Startup Crawl returns Sept. 19, marking Startland’s 10-year anniversary with KC innovation focus

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 18:02:09 +0000

Kansas City’s largest startup open house is back this fall — celebrating a decade of innovation alongside emerging builders and newsmakers.

Set for Sept.19 and organized by Startland News, Startup Crawl will mark the newsroom’s 10-year anniversary with a high-energy showcase of the city’s entrepreneurial community. The event, presented by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, places dozens of startups — from sports tech to AI — on display in venues across the Power & Light and Crossroads districts.

How reactivating history can drive economic growth more sustainably than a new build

admin — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 23:05:29 +0000

Editor’s note: The following is part of an ongoing feature series exploring impacts of initiatives within the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City through a paid partnership with EDCKC.

Hotel owners wanted charm that can’t be built in today’s economy; Kansas City history booked them the bones to do it

Meet 20 entrepreneurs primed to scale their ventures through KC program’s 15th cohort

admin — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 20:29:33 +0000

Transformational opportunities await growth-minded entrepreneurs from across Kansas City’s wide range of industries, said Jill Hathaway, noting business leaders from sports tech to roofing, brewing to nutrition counseling, can scale with the right coaching, perspective and connections.

ScaleUP! Kansas City on Monday announced its 15th cohort of 20 local companies looking to create new jobs, open new locations and strengthen the regional economy.

Plaza food hall returns with Lula’s, Guy’s, J. Rieger and more KC foodie favorites inside

admin — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 19:37:03 +0000

A hotel food hall — just up the hill from a main artery of the Country Club Plaza — is planning a restaurant rally this week; reopening its shared culinary experience with some of the Kansas City food scene’s biggest local brands and a food hall rarity: full-service.

Fit Truk shifts gears, building mass by scaling custom-built mobile gyms across US

admin — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 23:36:39 +0000

Fit Truk has traded its hometown workout circuit for a manufacturing floor and an international sales map. The Kansas City-born company is now producing custom-built mobile gyms for clients across the country and abroad.

“We have three different models of trucks,” said Josh Guffey, co-founder of Fit Truk. “We have trucks going out all over the U.S., and we’re going to be going out globally soon, working on several deals.”

Down to vibes: Fans of fellow their musicians form Kansas City dream pop group Silvee

admin — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 23:10:44 +0000

Kansas City’s lineup of creative talent plays best when musicians can plug into bands where they’re needed most, said Sky Cowdry, describing an inclusive local music scene built on shared resources, and sounds.

South KC hub heats up with $100M+ cold storage investment; logistics site expected to bring 190 jobs

admin — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 18:11:54 +0000

A strategic collaboration between Americold and CPKC underscores Kansas City’s growing role in advancing cross-border commerce and temperature-controlled logistics, officials said Tuesday, celebrating the grand opening of a 335,000-square-foot Import-Export Hub in South Kansas City.

Innovation Fest pitch winner touts unexpected treat: growing his animal health startup in Kansas

admin — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 16:52:36 +0000

Emmanuel Bijaoui’s first time in Kansas — for Tuesday’s Innovation Festival and onboarding for the incoming Plug and Play Topeka cohort — has left the Treat Therapeutics founder with a lasting impression of the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, he shared.

‘Troost is not scary’: Kansas City equity walk highlights Black business revival

admin — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 15:38:09 +0000

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by The Beacon, a member of the KC Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, and Missouri Business Alert.

NXTUS expands enterprise-focused program beyond Kansas; four KC-area startups selected

admin — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 15:20:26 +0000

WICHITA, Kan. — An ongoing initiative to demystify the relationship-building process between emerging entrepreneurs and potential enterprise partners just expanded deeper into the Midwest, welcoming 20 growth-minded innovators from Wichita to St. Louis.

Here’s how Bungii delivered spot No. 981 in its Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies debut

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 11:25:24 +0000

Nailing Bungii’s geographic expansion model has unlocked significant growth, said Ben Jackson, detailing a years-long evolution that earned his Kansas City-built final-mile delivery carrier a coveted spot on the latest Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies list.