Austin Barnes

At first glance, beauty is a superficial industry, Alley Gage admitted, her reflection showing in a nearby mirror as she spoke about her decade-long career in cosmetics. The truth she’s learned about the industry — well, it’s a reality she isn’t willing to gloss over.

Speakers for Saturday’s event include Whitney Manney, designer and founder of WHITNEY MANNEY; Tamara Day of HGTV’s “Growing Days” and “Bargain Mansions”; Nataliya Lucia Meyer, founder of Lucia’s Sarto; and Benay Shannon, co-founder of Restless Spirits Distilling Company.

A soil-turning deal and $3 million more in funding put Greenfield Robotics in the (driverless) driver’s seat as the Kansas-built maker of green-energy weedbots takes on a rapidly changing ag industry, establishes itself as an innovation influencer, and targets high-value partners like Toyota.

“Although several companies are taking a similar tack to improving real estate maintenance, we’re proud of the unique approach, technology and user experience we’ve developed,” said Bo Lais, announcing the new funding.

Family man Brett Jackson wears his evolution as a serial entrepreneur as proudly as the Kansas City-love engraved on his line of custom leatherwork, hats and apparel, he said. And it all started with a surprise gift.

Overland Park-based SnapIT Solutions has expanded its promise to deliver high-quality technology job training and educational services into Wichita, Neelima Parasker said, detailing a new partnership between the information technology firm and Wichita State University.

A key lesson from her 40 years in business (at such behemoths as Frito Lay and PepsiCo): develop your startup in reality — not just a state of love for your own ideas, Sally Williams said. She’s now quietly passing her wisdom to a new generation of Kansas City founders.

Hack Midwest previously inspired Ben Barreth in 2012 to launch Home for Hackers — formerly a KCK-based space that rented room to developers in the first house in the world to obtain Google Fiber. The idea-launching coding event returns this weekend.

From life-saving medical devices to unexpected innovations taking orbit, Engenious Design — a white label manufacturing and design firm headquartered in Prairie Village — might be Kansas City’s best-kept success story, teased Chris Justice, principal and CEO.

“This showcase is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when young people are empowered with the tools and mentorship to turn their ideas into action,” said Christina Hocker at Startland. An event Thursday brings together educators and entrepreneurs for a first-of-its-kind networking hour intended to encourage collaboration between founders and teachers.