Startup Missouri Information to fuel Missouri business startups

Mary Zhang had a realization: the products she used to treat humans while practicing acupuncture and Chinese medicine could also be used for animals. That led her to start Gou Gou Pets, a company that hopes to have 30 products available for purchase by the end of this year.

After opening its first location in Osage Beach in 1986, Andy's Frozen Custard now has about 100 locations around the country, and company president Andy Kuntz says finding great people is key to the company's success.

The belief that American society has created additional barriers for people of color, but that it is not beyond repair, has led Natalie Self to a new position as vice president of equitable economic impact at the Cortex Innovation Community in St. Louis.

Fielding Staton, who owns about 20 businesses around Missouri in a wide range of industries, says he has made mistakes, but he has benefited from mentorship, from having reliable business partners and from doing business in Missouri.

There are a million pieces of advice for startups when it comes to hiring the right kind of people. Yet, none of it matters if you aren’t hiring for the right positions to begin with. Before you start bringing employees on board, you may want to ask what roles your new venture needs to fill first.

The idea behind Clear Blue Smiles was that it would marry the best of the traditional practice and the convenience of new technology that allows people to fix their smiles without making regular visits to see an orthodontist.

Michael Barrera recently returned to Kansas City from Florida to serve as district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration. In that role, he works to connect local business owners with the federal agency’s services at a critical moment, as people try to recover from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Bob Brazell ascended to become a chef and owner of St. Louis restaurants, he found it difficult to allow his employees to carry some of the weight on his shoulders.

Fashion industry stalwarts John Elmuccio and Jon Lewis founded Evolution St. Louis, a 3D knitting company launched in February 2020, with hopes that it can play a key role in the revitalization of the local fashion industry.

Gabriela Ramírez-Arellano has dedicated her life to helping local people of color become successful entrepreneurs. In January, she joined the Cortex Innovation Community as the director of entrepreneurship and executive director of the Center for Emerging Technologies, Missouri’s largest and oldest innovation center.