Startland News

01/09/2026

The region’s culinary community is toasting the return of Kansas City Restaurant Week with anticipation — and hopes for a serving of survival amid an economic downturn that’s seen the closures of dining establishments new and old across the metro.

01/09/2026

An effort to “super-charge” innovative, emerging tech in Kansas City is helping more than a half-dozen companies with exceptional growth potential get their solutions to customers faster, said Jill Meyer, announcing the latest cohort of Digital Sandbox KC-funded startups.

01/07/2026

Today Startland News is showcasing 10 emerging companies that editors believe will be among the most newsworthy in the coming months. Their big ideas range from robotics and neuroscience-infused dating apps to civic engagement with local governments and a tool that helps make AI in the classroom a teacher’s friend — not the enemy.

Today Startland News is showcasing 10 emerging companies that editors believe will be among the most newsworthy in the coming months. Their big ideas range from robotics and neuroscience-infused dating apps to civic engagement with local governments and a tool that helps make AI in the classroom a t...

01/02/2026

After more than a decade trying to fit into places that weren’t built with accessibility in mind, Wesley Hamilton’s private wellness space in Midtown is opening the new year with a fresh perspective on healing, growing and thriving — free from judgment, questions, and the urge to meet someone else’s expectations, the founder said.

INCLŪSIV Wellness, 4142 Main St., debuted this fall as a membership-based gym designed specifically for individuals with physical disabilities, but welcoming to everyone. The facility offers adaptive fitness, inclusive group training, and accessible co-working areas; aiming to create a sense of belonging for all who enter through its doors.

“INCLŪSIV is a space where I don’t have to explain myself, modify everything, or shrink who I am,” Hamilton, a disability advocate and entrepreneur who is himself wheelchair bound, told Startland News. “It has allowed me to go from adapting to the world to creating a world that finally made space for me and others like me.”

The new wellness facility doubles as a coworking space, he explained, noting a holistic approach that prioritizes health in all aspects of life — in an environment built to see the individual, whatever they might look like.

After more than a decade trying to fit into places that weren’t built with accessibility in mind, Wesley Hamilton’s private wellness space in Midtown is opening the new year with a fresh perspective on healing, growing and thriving — free from judgment, questions, and the urge to meet someone ...

01/02/2026

A quarter-century commitment to regional investment and collaboration is paying off, said Dennis Ridenour, reflecting on a timeline of impact for BioNexus KC — accelerating innovation and strengthening health outcomes in Kansas City and beyond.

“This milestone is not about a single achievement; it’s about decades of collective, focused effort that have allowed our ecosystem to grow and thrive,” said Ridenour, president and CEO of BioNexus KC, marking the organization’s 25th anniversary. “Collaboration has been our foundation, and by working together across the region, we will continue to generate meaningful economic and social impact for the entire community.”

Since its founding in 2000, BioNexus KC has served as a trusted convener and catalyst for the region’s thriving ecosystem of researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, and industry partners, he explained, noting Kansas City is now home to a vibrant network of leaders committed to advancing critical areas such as life sciences research, rare diseases, human and animal health innovation, and informatics.

A quarter-century commitment to regional investment and collaboration is paying off, said Dennis Ridenour, reflecting on a timeline of impact for BioNexus KC — accelerating innovation and strengthening health outcomes in Kansas City and beyond.

01/01/2026

It’s the wee hours of the morning. Pitch-dark sky, hardly a murmur on these urban streets. Most of Kansas City tucked in their cozy beds.

But inside this tiny brick building on 12th Street earlier this week, the lights are bright, R&B music is buzzing, and the oven is blazing — ready to finish off freshly-made dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls, cakes and pies.

Owner Joyce Watts had a long stint serving up such treats with her sisters under Big Momma’s Bakery-Cafe and then as a home-based business as Boujee Baker KC.

Seven months ago, she opened a bakery and retail shop at 2311 E. 12th St.

“People say they are nostalgic. ‘This reminds me of my grandma, my mom,’” Watts said of her brand of baking business. “They say, ‘It just warms my heart.’”

When Joyce Watts was a youngster, she would pretend to bake, making mud pies outside, and “hosting” a cooking show. But she left the cooking to a sibling and her mother. It wasn't until she picked up a church cookbook that she delved into cooking for her growing family.

12/31/2025

After nearly a year in the smoker, Brodric Cason is lifting the lid on B-On-Meatz — a catering company with an appetite for ensuring everyone can enjoy Kansas City barbecue, no matter their dietary restrictions.

B-On-Meatz BBQ offers vegan and traditional barbecue, using kosher and halal meats. Launched in early 2025, the business has a simple mission beyond satisfying hunger.

“I saw how after big family functions, graduations, and other events, people would plan to get something to eat, but after talking through who can’t eat certain foods, some people would drop off,” explained Cason, who is also a stand-up comedian and track coach. “So our goal is to keep the family together.”

And BBQ sauce is thicker than water.

After nearly a year in the smoker, Brodric Cason is lifting the lid on B-On-Meatz — a catering company with an appetite for ensuring everyone can enjoy Kansas City barbecue, no matter their dietary restrictions. It offers vegan and traditional barbecue, using kosher and halal meats.

12/31/2025

As uncertainty swirls over the future of core Kansas City sports franchises, a new professional softball team is headed to the region — and it’s already announced plans to hit the field on the Kansas side of the state line.

The KC Diamonds announced on Tuesday plans to launch its inaugural 39-game softball season in 2026 from Legends Field, home of the Kansas City Monarchs, a professional baseball team in the American Association, an MLB Partner League.

The new softball team’s home opener is set for June 17 at the complex in Kansas City, Kansas.

Tickets for the season go on sale Feb. 1.

“This is a defining moment for softball in Kansas City,” said Jeremy McDowell, general manager of the KC Diamonds. “The KC Diamonds represent opportunity, visibility, and growth for professional women’s sports. Kansas City has already proven it shows up for softball, and now it has a team to call its own.”

As uncertainty swirls over the future of core Kansas City sports franchises, a new professional softball team is headed to the region — and it’s already announced plans to hit the field on the Kansas side of the state line.

12/31/2025

Closing a storefront doesn’t mean failure, said Buck Wimberly; sometimes it means choosing sustainability, health, and a future that looks different than originally imagined, the ULAH co-founder noted.

The Westwood boutique — known for its elevated style, in-store concerts, and buoyantly optimistic social media personality — announced on Tuesday plans to shutter the store at 4707 Rainbow Blvd on Jan. 31 after nine years and a post-COVID journey filled with highs and lows.

“This chapter feels bittersweet and emotional. ULAH was never just a store to us. It was our dream, our creative outlet, and a space for community,” said Wimberly, who owns and operates the business alongside his husband, Joey Mendez. “As entrepreneurs, this chapter is teaching us resilience, humility, and what it means to show up even when things are hard. We’re incredibly proud of what we built over nearly a decade, even as we acknowledge that it’s time for that chapter to close.”

The ULAH brand is expected to continue through its fragrance and candle collection — online and through other boutiques, said Mendez.

Closing a storefront doesn’t mean failure, said Buck Wimberly; sometimes it means choosing sustainability, health, and a future that looks different than originally imagined, the ULAH co-founder noted.

12/29/2025

Russell Luttrall estimated he needed $90,000 to open Heartland Automotive Services as he envisioned. That included equipment, signage, shop preparation and enough runway to avoid immediate cash-flow pressure. “I didn’t want to start small again,” he said. “If you start small, you stay small.”

Luttrall found a solution that fit his plans, he said.

ROBS — short for Rollover as Business Startup — has existed in federal tax and retirement law for decades. Yet even seasoned bankers, advisors and small-business support organizations often don’t know it’s an option, Mickey Parker said.

“Most bankers look at a personal financial statement and see retirement accounts as completely off-limits,” he explained. “But this has been written into the law for years. It’s not new. It’s not a loophole. Most people just don’t know it exists.”

Parker is president of Accelefund, a Missouri-based firm that helps entrepreneurs structure and administer ROBS rollovers. His background is in accounting and finance, largely working with privately held companies — experience that shapes his cautious, education-first approach.

Russell Luttrall estimated he needed $90,000 to open Heartland Automotive Services as he envisioned. That included equipment, signage, shop preparation and enough runway to avoid immediate cash-flow pressure. “I didn’t want to start small again,” he said. “If you start small, you stay small....

12/23/2025

Recorded live at the Plug and Play Animal Health & AgTech Expo in Topeka, we explore what it means for the Plug and Play cohort to be housed at LINK, how these two worlds come together to support founders, and why this moment feels like a true convergence of vision, place, and community.