Tag: kansas city

Crowdfunding investment helps fan favorite food cart revive second-chance entrepreneur’s outlook

admin — Thu, 16 May 2024 17:19:44 +0000

After spending a decade in prison, owning her own catering business has given Stephanie Blaco a new purpose in life, she shared, and a new small business crowdfunding platform is giving her the opportunity — when others wouldn’t — to scale up.

“That’s what I believe has kept me out of prison,” the Mixing Bowl On The Go owner said.

This KCK native started his own Black rodeo to celebrate cowboys left out of Western lore

admin — Thu, 16 May 2024 16:27:20 +0000

Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective.

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Her iconic KC business made her queen of the road; why Gail Worth is switching gears into retirement

admin — Tue, 14 May 2024 21:28:33 +0000

Gail Worth is hitting the open road of retirement — putting 25 years at her premier motorcycle dealership in the rearview mirror.

And the Grandview business — Gail’s (formerly known as Gail’s Harley-Davidson) — that she made popular with her community drive and over-the-handlebars personality, is closing on Worth’s own terms, she said proudly.
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Drivers are on-the-go; scheduling real-time repairs should be just as mobile, say UnDriveable founders

admin — Tue, 14 May 2024 21:11:02 +0000

A Kansas City autotech startup is empowering motorists to easily browse and select nearby services — whether scheduling maintenance or requesting more dire roadside assistance — without adding to the anxiety and stress of the driver’s moment in need.
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When your hobby takes a leap: Turning passion into a business

admin — Tue, 14 May 2024 16:11:01 +0000

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Latasha Randle is a Strategy & Small Business Program Manager at H&R Block, a company founded and headquartered in downtown Kansas City.

Many of us have hobbies that spark joy and help us unwind from the stresses of everyday life. From gardening, painting, knitting, and cooking, hobbies reflect our inner passions and interests. But what happens when your hobby evolves into something more?
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Identity festival returns, bringing Asian-owned business, culture from the shadows to the pitch

admin — Sat, 11 May 2024 01:44:58 +0000

A celebration of often-overlooked heritage and culture is scoring its biggest match yet: a showcase this weekend at CPKC Stadium — where intentional diversity and inclusivity have a home field advantage, said Jackie Nguyen.

“It’s our first time partnering with such a big venue,” said Nguyen, founder of the annual AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) Identity festival. “With the help of the community and my friends, it started growing and growing, and now it’s gotten huge.”
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Mr K finalists: Diversity is a strength, but the vibes defining these Top 10 businesses don’t stop there

admin — Fri, 10 May 2024 22:49:09 +0000

Yes, 80 percent of the finalists for this year’s Small Business of the Year Award are ventures run by women, Karen Crnkovich acknowledged, but it’s not just their owners’ gender that put them in the top-tier of contenders for the coveted “Mr. K” honor.
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Sober, safe travels: The only thing off the menu for these luxury bookings is alcohol

admin — Fri, 10 May 2024 21:12:17 +0000

A Kansas City woman’s travel business is taking flight with plans to offer budding adventurers a world of rejuvenating vacationing, luxury, and wellness — all with an alcohol-free itinerary.

“I’m blending my two passions together: sobriety and travel,” said Michelle Plante. “I wanted to create a space for women to get together, connect, and have fun.”
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Recipe for empathy: These students prepared hundreds of protein-packed, free meals for their food-insecure peers

admin — Thu, 09 May 2024 18:55:41 +0000

High school students in the Kansas City area are doing their part to stamp out food insecurity one recipe at a time, Tamara Weber shared.

Kids Feeding Kids — a sister program of Pete’s Garden, both founded by Weber — partners with high school FACS and CTE culinary classes to teach students about critical topics related to food access and sustainability. The program aims to empower young people to give back to their communities by preparing up to 1,000 free, take-home family dinners.
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PopBookings rallies as KC startup looks for its own key hires: ‘We’re back in a big, big way’

admin — Thu, 09 May 2024 18:01:21 +0000

After dialing back its event staffing platform’s operations during the pandemic, Kansas City-grown PopBookings is back online in the Midwest — ramping up hiring as it works toward a Series A funding round by year’s end.
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$11M renovation in the works for historic hub of Black entrepreneurship; project ties into 18th Street pedestrian mall plans

admin — Thu, 09 May 2024 15:56:48 +0000

Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by AltCap, an ally to underestimated entrepreneurs that offers financing to businesses and communities that traditional lenders do not serve.

For more than one hundred years, the Lincoln Building has served as a cornerstone of commerce and community in the 18th and Vine district.
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MTC’s spring $1.4M investment cycle loops Facility Ally, DevStride into equity deals

admin — Wed, 08 May 2024 15:42:50 +0000

Two Kansas City startups are among a handful of Missouri companies receiving a collective $1.4 million in investment allocations through a state-sponsored venture capital program.
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Kauffman CEO: Foundation’s reset aligns Mr. K’s intent with KC’s needs of the moment

admin — Wed, 08 May 2024 14:56:58 +0000

A recently announced strategy refresh for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation will drive the organization’s collective impact in the community — honoring the vision of its namesake while recognizing the challenges Kansas City faces today, said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace.
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Block by block: Prototype builds startup’s housing vision where everyone can afford their own castle

admin — Tue, 07 May 2024 20:15:09 +0000

A mock home facade project on the grounds of Kansas City’s historic Workhouse Castle serves as a proof point for Godfrey Riddle’s rebooted Civic Saint — a social venture built on compressed earth blocks as its key to affordable, sustainable housing.
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Resource revival: Digital Inclusion Fund relaunches with initial grants focused on devices

admin — Tue, 07 May 2024 18:43:04 +0000

Kansas Citians can’t upgrade skills or devices they don’t already have, said organizers of a newly relaunched Digital Inclusion Fund — emphasizing a need to attack the metro’s digital divide at the infrastructure level.
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