Channa Steinmetz

The all-encompassing pickleball experience is designed to welcome players of all skill levels, organizers said — from those who have never picked up a paddle to tournament-seasoned competitors.

Abstraction Capital is an early stage venture fund for technical founders building developer tools, devops, software infrastructure and other technical tools. The firm’s initial fund of $13 million has invested in 32 portfolio companies across the globe.

Traveling across the United States to listen and learn from various entrepreneurial ecosystems gave Nassir Criss the knowledge to be a better venture capitalist, he said. After nearly a year — and visiting more than a dozen cities — Criss has returned to Kansas City to share and apply what he experienced.

The group of friends who started the business — Let’s Get Moving — made the strategic move to pivot their venture to full-time digital content creation. Monetizing their work links to a spicy social media solution.

The Lawrence-based biotechnology company is a game-changer in sustainable farming, Rob Herrington said. PrairieFood’s patented micro-carbon process prioritizes soil health, which in turn helps farmers grow crops and revenue.

“Our first priority is lab technicians, in particular those with histology experience,” Tom Jantsch said. “... We’re now up to a team of 15, and we feel confident we’ll grow to 20 by the end of the year.”

Vanessa Woods, a former professional ballet dancer, suffered an injury that ended her career. So she formed a company, Vitality in Motion, that brings movement classes to retirement communities, while also providing work for dancers when they're not performing.

The foundation for Sailes has always been solving difficult problems for sales teams, said Nick Smith; the success of a Series A funding round for the startup will power new tools toward that goal.

Startland News | By Channa Steinmetz Published December 10, 2023 at 4:00 AM CST Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Drafted from creativity in the Crossroads, a hand-sketched character inspired by Kansas City’s rising national profile (and the familiar personalities behind it) is now finding fans on and off the field … well, lawn.