Startland News

When the owners of Decori home and gift shop at the Village at Briarcliff suited up to create a Travis Kelce candle scent, they turned to their virtual assistant to help make the call. Alexa suggested a play on the “audacious, confident and powerful” scents of Creed Aventus. Three formulations later, partners Ralph Liebetrau and Jim Scarpino had the fragrance for TK87 — now one of the most popular scents from their own line of luxury candles, Cefalù, crafted in house by the two Kansas City artisans and retailers.

Saturday’s star-studded premiere for the Hallmark movie “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story” at Crown Center won’t be the only hometown Christmas tie-in at the sprawling Hallmark Christmas Experience. Kansas City-built Dimensional Innovations plays a key role in the season-long holiday celebration, which kicks off with the TV movie — filmed over the summer in Independence in partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs — but continues for weeks thanks to DI’s collaboration.

A core requirement to earn the KC Chamber’s highest honor: simply making Kansas City a better place, said Joe Reardon, announcing local business icons Peggy and Terry Dunn — a former mayor and the longtime top executive at JE Dunn Construction — as the 2024 Kansas Citians of the Year. “Together, Peggy and Terry exemplify what it means to lead with purpose,” said Reardon, president and CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. “Their shared commitment to philanthropy, civic service, and championing initiatives that unify and uplift our community is unparalleled.”

Strang Chef Collective is serving its final customers within the food hall’s downtown space, said CEO Shawn Craft, announcing the lightwell location would close Tuesday “despite the company’s best efforts over the past year to keep it open.” The chef-driven concept — through which diners experience a mix of global and elevated comfort flavors — debuted two years ago with Strang Chef Collective capitalizing on the popularity of its original Overland Park location, Strang Hall. Its nearly 5,000-square-foot space on the lower level of the downtown lightwell building boasts two distinct cuisine offerings, along with a bar.

The good times roll through the weekend at KC Daiquiri Shop as the well-known Mardi Gras-themed getaway on Grand Boulevard shuts down its years-long revelry. “This decision has not come lightly,” Kinley Strickland and Calvin Vick, owners of KC Daiquiri Shop, said Monday in a social media post announcing the business’ plans to close Dec. 1. “We have faced a slow economy, challenges with local and state government, and ongoing legal battles with neighboring businesses that have been less than supportive.”

Grace Kertz is redefining what workplace inclusivity can look like with Sensory Sync, an AI-powered platform designed to support neurodivergent employees. Her work on the innovative venture on Thursday earned her the title of UMKC Student Entrepreneur of the Year. “Sensory sync is an enterprise grade DEI and wellness platform sold to companies. It utilizes AI to identify employee sensory sensitivities in the work environment,” explained Kertz on stage during the UMKC Henry W. Bloch School of Management annual Entrepreneur of the Year awards at Copaken Stage at the H&R Block World Headquarters in downtown Kansas City.

Kansas City-built design firm Populous brought to reality more than just great venues, Tom Bloch shared; it developed great experiences for a worldwide audience. “From its start here in Kansas City as HOK Sport in 1983 until now, Populous has set an unmatched standard for stadiums, convention centers, and event spaces,” Bloch told the crowd Thursday night at the 38th University of Missouri-Kansas City Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. “This team has mastered the art of design in a way that goes beyond architecture and engineering, they create places where people come together and make memories that last a lifetime.”

When healthtech founder Chris Jones pivoted away from the painful memory of losing his son — a catalyst for launching his medical records startup — he shelved a vital piece of the “why” behind both his company and his passion, Jones said. “I never understood what my power was — not just the technology — but just in the story,” he said, reflecting on his five-year journey since founding MatchRite Care, as well as iterations of the strategy that saw him focus on providers and facilities instead of the human element. “I had to go back to what we started with in 2019; it’s about the patient.” The first patient on Jones’ mind: his late son, Christopher “CJ” Jones Jr.

Kansas City is kicking plans into high gear as the 2026 FIFA World Cup heads to the pitch — with local leaders eager to capitalize on the massive economic impact expected from the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “The 2026 World Cup will be the largest event mankind has ever put on, and it’s going to be the most watched event in human history,” said Nicholas Segura, founder of Segura Marketing, leading a Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City panel conversation Thursday at Union Station on the how businesses can capture World Cup momentum.

An initiative led by musician-turned-philanthropist Pharrell Williams to help close the opportunity and wealth gap for Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs has selected Kansas City-based AskSAMIE for its latest cohort of funding, training and mentorship. Through the just-announced Black Ambition cohort, 30 founders are receiving awards between $25,000 and $1 million, totalling $2.7 million. AskSAMIE earned $50,000 for its adaptive healthcare accessibility platform.