{"id":507213,"date":"2026-01-10T23:22:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T23:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/507213\/"},"modified":"2026-01-10T23:22:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T23:22:11","slug":"meet-8-startups-that-just-locked-in-move-faster-funding-from-digital-sandbox-kc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/507213\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet 8 startups that just locked in move-faster funding from Digital Sandbox KC"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Digital-Sandbox-Q4-2025.jpg\" alt=\"Meet 8 startups that just locked in move-faster funding from Digital Sandbox KC\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Digital Sandbox KC for Q4 2025: Ian Foster, CEO of SiteScan; Piyush Bhanu, founder of Truslabs.ai; Shaniqua Jones-Williams, founder and CEO of SendBack; Mark A. Moore Jr., CEO of VR 44; Carlanda McKinney, CEO of Syd Health; Rebecca Hollis, COO of Syd Health; Trina Nudson, founder of BeAligned; Craig Mason, CEO and co-founder of Myndset; Russel Karim, CEO of SourceEazy; Jeff Miner, co-founder and Chief Performance Officer of Myndset; and Damion &#8220;Coach D&#8221; Brown, co-founder\/Chief of Staff of Myndset<\/p>\n<p>An effort to \u201csuper-charge\u201d 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.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/techventurestudiokc.com\/digital-sandbox\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-702210 size-medium alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Digital-Sandbox-KC-logo-2025-full-300x91.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"91\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese next great innovations are solving real-world problems and identifying gaps that their technologies can fill,\u201d said Meyer, senior director of <a href=\"https:\/\/techventurestudiokc.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology Venture Studio<\/a> at the <a href=\"https:\/\/umkcinnovates.com\/technology-venture-studio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UMKC Innovation Center<\/a>, which houses <a href=\"https:\/\/techventurestudiokc.com\/digital-sandbox\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Digital Sandbox KC<\/a>. \u201cAll eight startups reflect a strong mix of digital health and industry expertise that can impact their customers and position them as the next leaders in their markets.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The companies \u2014 which join 242 other startups that have received proof-of-concept support from the program since 2013 \u2014 are poised to make a significant impact in their industries, from retail returns and infrastructure solutions to mindset training and custom product distribution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDigital Sandbox KC funding will help us accelerate core product development and key integrations needed to scale SendBack\u2019s returns platform,\u201d said Shaniqua Jones-Williams, founder and CEO of SendBack, a reverse logistics technology company funded through the cohort. \u201cThis support allows us to move faster from pilot to infrastructure that benefits consumers, retailers and logistics partners.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In addition to receiving up to $20,000 in project funding, startups in the program gain access to the Technology Venture Studio community, mentors, investor connections and technical project support.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/techventurestudiokc.com\/digital-sandbox\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>here<\/b><\/a> to submit a pitch to Digital Sandbox KC.<\/p>\n<p>The eight just-funded companies (three of which are in the digital health space) include:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>BeAligned, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/thelayneproject.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>The Layne Project Inc.<\/b><\/a><b> (<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/trina-nudson-19b169149\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Trina Nudson<\/b><\/a><b>),<\/b> Olathe, Kansas \u2014 BeAligned helps people pause before they react, reconnect to what matters and choose responses aligned with their values \u2014 especially in moments when adult stress or conflict impacts children. Rooted in more than 25 years of frontline experience working with families, children and complex systems, BeAligned supports clearer thinking, calmer communication and decisions that reduce harm and safeguard childhoods.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/myndsetapp\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Myndset<\/b><\/a><b> (<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/camason\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Craig Mason<\/b><\/a><b>, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jeffminertriumphkc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Jeff Miner<\/b><\/a><b>, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/coachd402\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Damion Brown<\/b><\/a><b>),<\/b> Lawrence, Kansas \u2014 Myndset is a mobile AI performance coach that delivers the mentality of podium-level athletes to everyone, transforming daily mental training into the confidence to perform your best under pressure.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sendbackreturns.com\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>SendBack<\/b><\/a><b> (<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/shaniqua-jones-williams-9115612a\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Shaniqua Jones-Williams<\/b><\/a><b>), <\/b>Kansas City, Missouri \u2014 SendBack streamlines retail return workflows, providing ease for everyday consumers through packageless doorstep pickups and enabling smarter return management for retailers and third-party logistics providers. The platform supports more efficient and sustainable pathways for returned goods across the reverse supply chain.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sitescan.build\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>SiteScan<\/b><\/a><b> (<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ian-foster-14a601205\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Ian Foster<\/b><\/a><b>),<\/b> Kansas City, Missouri \u2014 SiteScan automates sewer inspections using AI image-recognition software to find and grade issues in infrastructure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sourceeazy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>SourceEazy<\/b><\/a><b> (<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/russelkarim\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Russel Karim<\/b><\/a><b>),<\/b> Kansas City, Missouri \u2014 SourceEazy is building the AI infrastructure redefining how the world creates and distributes custom-branded products, streamlining design to distribution across the $170 billion legacy promotional and uniform product industry. The platform already powers 120-plus leading distributors and major brands.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Syd Health (<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/carlandarmckinney\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Carlanda McKinney<\/b><\/a><b>, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rebecca-hollis-5040b523\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Rebecca Hollis<\/b><\/a><b>),<\/b> Overland Park, Kansas \u2014 Syd Health is a health care technology company focused on eliminating preventable patient harm. Using advanced analytics on health insurance claims data, Syd Health helps insurers uncover hidden risks, reduce avoidable costs and improve patient outcomes at scale.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>TrustLabs.ai (<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/piyushbhanu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Piyush Bhanu<\/b><\/a><b>),<\/b> Kansas City, Kansas \u2014\u00a0TrusLabs.ai is building the data infrastructure of biology by developing AI-native tools that make large-scale omics analysis faster and more accessible. Its first platform, TrusRNA, delivers an integrated, end-to-end RNA sequencing analysis workflow that reduces complexity and accelerates discovery.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>VR 44 (Mark A. Moore Jr.),<\/b> Kansas City, Missouri \u2014 VR 44 LLC is a sports technology company developing a virtual-reality Football IQ training platform that helps players improve decision-making, assignments and game-speed recognition through immersive, position-specific virtual reality reps, which gives teams a safer, more efficient way to train the mental side of the game.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Digital Sandbox KC for Q4 2025: Ian Foster, CEO of SiteScan; Piyush Bhanu, founder of Truslabs.ai; Shaniqua Jones-Williams,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":507214,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[64,227094,607,227093,227092,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-507213","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entrepreneurship","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-digital-sandbox-kc","10":"tag-entrepreneurship","11":"tag-jill-meyer","12":"tag-technology-venture-studio","13":"tag-united-states","14":"tag-unitedstates","15":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115873378801259743","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/507213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=507213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/507213\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/507214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=507213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=507213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=507213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}