Startland News

11/20/2025

Persistence pays off, said Ruben Alonso, celebrating a decade of the AltCap Your Biz Pitch Competition and its role as an energy boost for Kansas City small businesses. The latest winning founders walked away with $60,000 in checks Wednesday at Union Station.

Two of this year’s top three winners were returning finalists, the AltCap CEO said, bringing sharper pitches, refined strategies, and fresh momentum to the stage. Judges took notice, rewarding not just strong ideas, but founder growth, he added.

E-Z Pedicabs rolled off with the $35,000 grand prize, a major moment for the pedicab ride and tour company serving downtown Kansas City. Fresh off the win, co-founder Atticus Sloan said the team is preparing for what could be the city’s biggest moment yet.

“We’re ready for the World Cup,” said Sloan. “We’re just excited to offer our services.”

Persistence pays off, said Ruben Alonso, celebrating a decade of the AltCap Your Biz Pitch Competition and its role as an energy boost for Kansas City small businesses. The latest winning founders walked away with $60,000 in checks Wednesday at Union Station. Two of this year’s top three winners w...

11/20/2025

A new site management platform — complete with wearable robots designed to automatically document work as it happens — is expected to help construction, infrastructure, and military teams gain real-time clarity across their projects and workforce, said John Boucard.

“Instead of relying on spreadsheets, manual reporting, or guesswork, leaders now have continuous visual and sensor data that shows exactly what is happening on their sites, moment by moment,” explained Boucard, CEO of Overland Park-built Tesseract. “And most importantly, workers get to see their contributions reflected honestly and proudly every day.”

Tesseract’s Prism Vision Badge is a small, rugged robot that clips onto a worker’s vest or helmet. Throughout the day, it automatically captures photos at set intervals, adds time and location information, and stores everything securely on the device. At the end of a shift, workers simply place the badge in a charging dock where real time data is uploaded and organized. The badge requires no training beyond pressing one button, making it as easy to use as a walkie talkie.

A new site management platform — complete with wearable robots designed to automatically document work as it happens — is expected to help construction, infrastructure, and military teams gain real-time clarity across their projects and workforce, said John Boucard.

11/20/2025

Even a visitor can become a repeat customer, said Dulcinea Herrera, stressing the importance of Kansas City businesses making their establishments a destination — not just a one-time stopover or accidental find — for international fans and other out-of-town guests when the FIFA World Cup arrives next summer.

The goal: Win them over with intentional moves to field a global customer base, the Café Corazón CEO said.

Even a visitor can become a repeat customer, said Dulcinea Herrera, stressing the importance of Kansas City businesses making their establishments a destination — not just a one-time stopover or accidental find — for international fans and other out-of-town guests when the FIFA World Cup arrives...

11/18/2025

Every iconic company headquartered in Kansas City — from Helzberg Diamonds to Hallmark — started with an entrepreneur hoping to scale a small idea into big impact, said Jim Erickson, teasing a next wave of emerging startups and the latest winners of the LaunchKC grants competition.

Eight early-stage companies were announced Monday as recipients of LaunchKC’s $60,000 non-dilutive grants, downtown office space, and access to expert programming and mentorship through the Downtown Council and the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri (EDCKC).

The region expects a return on the investment, said Erickson, director of strategic initiatives at EDCKC and a core organizer of the program, pointing to the success of previous cohorts.

Every iconic company headquartered in Kansas City — from Helzberg Diamonds to Hallmark — started with an entrepreneur hoping to scale a small idea into big impact, said Jim Erickson, teasing a next wave of emerging startups and the latest winners of the LaunchKC grants competition.

11/15/2025

With dozens of events on the calendar for GEWKC, Union Station will be bustling with activity, said Callie England, noting organizers intentionally curated a week where attendees can’t go wrong — no matter how they fill out their itinerary.

“While the schedule can feel full, it’s truly the best of the best,” said England, director of Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City for KCSourceLink, which has organized the event since 2008.

The city’s premier, multi-day entrepreneurship conference returns Nov. 17-21 with marquee base camp events and a maker fair set for Tuesday through Thursday at historic Union Station.

With dozens of events on the calendar for GEWKC, Union Station will be bustling with activity, said Callie England, noting organizers intentionally curated a week where attendees can’t go wrong — no matter how they fill out their itinerary.

11/14/2025

With dozens of events on the calendar for GEWKC, Union Station will be bustling with activity, said Callie England, noting organizers intentionally curated a week where attendees can’t go wrong — no matter how they fill out their itinerary.

“While the schedule can feel full, it’s truly the best of the best,” said England, director of Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City for KCSourceLink, which has organized the event since 2008.

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11/14/2025

He’s a startup founder today, but a protective brother first, said Danny Moran, describing how his sister with special needs motivated the launch of an app to protect vulnerable people engaging in a digital world too often filled with bad actors.

“She’s been scammed online multiple times over the past 10 years, causing significant financial loss for my family and emotional damage to her,” explained Moran, co-founder and CEO of Advoteck.

The Kansas City-based startup debuted in 2024, and in March completed development of two apps — the Advoteck Caregiver app and the TypeSafe Keyboard app — which work together to prevent older adults and those with special needs from sharing sensitive information online and to alert caregivers when they try to share info like Social Security numbers or credit card details.

He’s a startup founder today, but a protective brother first, said Danny Moran, describing how his sister with special needs motivated the launch of an app to protect vulnerable people engaging in a digital world too often filled with bad actors.

11/14/2025

New tech opportunities — like artificial intelligence — hold the potential to equalize the Kansas City region among more established startup hubs, investment leaders said Thursday, but to fully take advantage, entrepreneurs who want strong, lasting companies must have a fire inside them.

Not to mention grit.

“Several really incredible entrepreneurs said, ‘I think the one thing that we could use even more of is ambition,’” said Dan Kerr, managing partner at Flyover Capital, speaking Thursday at the annual MidxMidwest startup-investor summit. “[Our region has] high-substance founders, we have great industry professionals that build their businesses, but we also have this thing called humility, which doesn’t always parallel ambition.”

New tech opportunities — like artificial intelligence — hold the potential to equalize the Kansas City region among more established startup hubs, investment leaders said Thursday, but to fully take advantage, entrepreneurs who want strong, lasting companies must have a fire inside them. Not to ...

11/14/2025

Kansas City leaders advancing toward the Kauffman Foundation’s high-profile impact award all demonstrate bold, creative, and inclusive leadership, said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, announcing five finalists for the inaugural honor.

“Each of these leaders reminds us that one person can make a difference, and that compassion and dedication can change the lives of the people we serve,” said Burns-Wallace, president and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. “We’re honored to celebrate the finalists, their work, and their impact in Kansas City.”

Curation of the Uncommon Leader Impact Award finalists began in June when the Kauffman Foundation asked the community for nominations to recognize everyday Kansas Citians doing extraordinary things to uplift their neighbors and neighborhoods. Three hundred nominations highlighted the people who are creating lasting change through bold and compassionate action, organizers said.

One winning finalist will receive $50,000, personally, and $100,000 for their nonprofit.

Kansas City leaders advancing toward the Kauffman Foundation’s high-profile impact award all demonstrate bold, creative, and inclusive leadership, said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, announcing five finalists for the inaugural honor.

11/14/2025

Entrepreneurs want to tap into all the potential business they can when an estimated 650,000 visitors descend on Kansas City for the World Cup, said Jim Ready, detailing plans for a temporary expansion of alcohol sales in KCMO to accommodate a global audience in June and July 2026.

The move is more of a stress test than a free-for-all — a way to understand how far the city can stretch its nightlife infrastructure without losing control, emphasized Ready, manager of Kansas City, Missouri’s Regulated Industries division.

“We all know we have a responsibility to play in here to try to help people have fun, but we’ve got to make certain that the safety aspect is certainly followed,” he said.

From June 11 to July 19, 2026, bars and restaurants across Missouri that are licensed to serve alcohol will be allowed to serve from 6 a.m. to 5 a.m. under a statewide exemption passed in anticipation of the FIFA World Cup.

The unprecedented move, regulators say, targets sales to fans — especially out-of-town visitors — who might venture into local businesses hoping to watch live broadcasts from other host cities in wildly different time zones.

Entrepreneurs want to tap into all the potential business they can when an estimated 650,000 visitors descend on Kansas City for the World Cup, said Jim Ready, detailing plans for a temporary expansion of alcohol sales in KCMO to accommodate a global audience in June and July 2026.

11/14/2025

ICYMI: Business should be about driving impact, not just scoring another win, said former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow — challenging Midwest entrepreneurs, community builders, and investors to consider outcomes that boost others, not just one’s personal pocketbook.

“Probably everybody in this room has been super blessed with skill sets, resources, relationships, opportunities, companies, all of it,” Tebow told a crowd gathered Wednesday night for Main Street Summit’s keynote at the Missouri Theater in downtown Columbia. “How can you take what you have been gifted with, which you have, what you’re a steward of, and take it from success to significance? I think all of you could do that in different ways. I don’t think there’s a one size fits all.”

“But it’s like, ‘OK, how can I use my company?” he added. “‘How can I use the relationships? How can I use our business? How can I use the resources? How can I take this and impact the world, especially those that are suffering?’”

Tebow — founder and chairman of the Tim Tebow Foundation, an organization responsible for guiding its mission to bring faith, hope, and love to children and vulnerable populations — was one of more than 120 speakers spread across three days and 15 downtown Columbia venues. They included experts within seven programming tracks: venture and startup, manufacturing, construction, franchise, health, nonprofit, and faith and work.

Business should be about driving impact, not just scoring another win, said former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow — challenging Midwest entrepreneurs, community builders, and investors to consider outcomes that boost others, not just one’s personal pocketbook.

11/13/2025

It isn’t a party without the people, said organizers of the Starty Party, gathering a crowd of startup veterans, early stage founders, investors and community leaders Wednesday for a one-night celebration of innovation — set against the backdrop of homegrown music and vibes.

“This is amazing,” said Melissa Vincent, CEO of Pipeline Entrepreneurs, from the Starty Party stage at Knuckleheads in Kansas City’s East Bottoms. “The thing I love about Kansas City is that we know how to collaborate. And because of our collaboration — instead of it being competition — we bring everybody in together.”

A crossover event, Starty Party notably combined the people power and resources of Pipeline (opening its latest module this week), the Flyover Capital-led MidxMidwest startup-investor summit (returning today in its fourth year), and law firm Polsinelli (a longtime supporter of the tech and innovation community).

It isn’t a party without the people, said organizers of the Starty Party, gathering a crowd of startup veterans, early stage founders, investors and community leaders Wednesday for a one-night celebration of innovation — set against the backdrop of homegrown music and vibes.