‘We are the culture’: KC Chamber finalists link business identity to leadership at the top
May 5, 2026 | Taylor Wilmore
Vu Radley, co-founder of MADE MOBB, shares a laugh with fellow panelists at Union Station during a CEO conversation for the KC Chamber's Small Business of the Year honor; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Editor’s Note: Startland News is a media partner for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Celebration.
Cultivating a company culture often requires founders to dig deep into their own personal backgrounds, while allowing their teams to help shape the workplace, a panel of finalists for the KC Chamber’s Small Business of the Year Award agreed,
“This is our American Dream, it’s our version of it,” said Vu Radley, describing the early days and journey of MADE MOBB, the streetwear brand he built alongside fellow first-generation immigrant co-founders Jesse Phouangphet and Mark Launiu. “We fail a lot. Our whole business has been about failing and learning from those failures.”
Radley joined leaders from 10 standout small businesses at the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 Small Business Celebration CEO panel. Finalists for the Mr. K Award (the annual Small Business of the Year honor) shared how leadership, identity and community influence how their companies operate and grow.
Jenny Muntzel, owner of She Hauled It, speaks during the KC Chamber’s CEO panel conversation; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
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Fellow panelists pointed to how culture shifts as companies expand and leadership evolves.
“The company won’t make it if it’s all about me,” said Jenny Muntzel, owner of She Hauled It, a waste management and recycling company. “I really succeed when everyone who works for me feels ownership.”
For some founders, culture is closely tied to perspective.
Reda Ibrahim, founder and CEO of RK Contractors, shares his philosophy on the language of leadership during the KC Chamber’s CEO panel conversation; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
“I’m an immigrant, and I’ve been in Kansas City for 11 years. The city is my home,” said Reda Ibrahim, founder and CEO of RK Contractors. “We change the language from boss to leader. No one is working for me. They are working with me.”
Dulcinea Herrera, co-owner of Café Corazón, describers her business’ relationship with culture as moderator Jeff Phillips of Landmark National Bank looks on; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
At Café Corazón, Kansas City’s first Latin and Indigenous coffee shop, the workplace and customer experience echo the same flavors.
“We are the culture,” said Dulcinea Herrera. “When you walk in, we want you to feel like you’re at your grandma’s house, that you’re safe and sound.”
She recalled a moment that reinforced that approach.
“I’ll never forget there was an older Latina woman who walked in, and she just started crying,” said Herrera, “She said, ‘Thank you so much. I finally feel like I have a space where I’m felt and I’m heard and I’m seen.’
The panel, moderated by Landmark National Bank’s Jeff Phillips, is part of the KC Chamber’s annual Small Business Celebration, which recognizes companies for leadership, growth and community impact.
The Small Business Celebration will culminate May 27 at with the announcement of the Mr. K Award winner, recognizing one of the Top 10 finalists for excellence in leadership, growth and community impact.
Click here for tickets to the Small Business Celebration Awards Luncheon.
Growing with intention
Panelists also discussed how strategy supports culture as businesses scale.
Melisa Morley, president of encompas, speaks during the KC Chamber’s CEO panel conversation; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
“Working with small businesses, entrepreneurs, it’s a different breed,” said Michele Markham, president and CEO of EAG Advertising and Marketing. “Understanding that and staying true to it has been important to us.”
For Kansas City Catering, growth has meant making more selective decisions.
“We have to be willing to say no to events that are not profitable or not worth it,” said co-owner Emily Freeman. “A lot of that is to preserve our employees’ sanity, protect the culture and reduce burnout.”
Melisa Morley, president of encompas, a provider of contract furniture and architectural products, emphasized that leadership mindset plays a key role in keeping teams adaptable as companies scale.
“Being willing to be the person in the room with the most to learn is not a weakness, it’s a strength,” she said.
Building community, not just companies
As companies expand, several founders said, their impact increasingly reaches beyond operations and into the broader community.
Slattery pointed to the role design can play in shaping more inclusive and functional spaces.
“We shouldn’t be a luxury. We are a necessity,” said Amy Slattery, founder of SLATTERY Design + Architecture. “If more people thought this way about architecture and design, we could create more beautiful and sustainable work in our region and beyond.”
For Andrew Bristow, that impact starts with trust and the standards set for his team.
“We’re looking for people we would trust to move our families,” said Bristow, founder and CEO of Pantheon Moving, a commercial and residential moving company. “That’s how we see our customers.”
Sherry Lumpkins, founder and principal consultant at Blue Symphony, speaks during the KC Chamber’s CEO panel conversation; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Sherry Lumpkins, founder and principal consultant at Blue Symphony, a consultancy, technology and marketing agency, highlighted the importance of balancing immediate responsibilities with long-term vision as companies grow.
“The growth is learning when to step into the day to day and when to step outside of it,” she said.
Several panelists also pointed to Kansas City as a driving force behind their success, shaping both opportunity and community connections.
Vu Radley, co-founder of MADE MOBB, discusses his company’s deep Kansas City connection during a KC Chamber panel conversation at Union Station; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
“The only reason MADE MOBB exists is because of Kansas City. It’s become a community. It’s become a collaboration,” said Radley.
He added that MADE MOBB builds those connections by investing time and resources locally, including volunteering with organizations like Operation Breakthrough and Ryogoku Soccer Academy and partnering with high schools.
Part of that commitment is helping others navigate challenges the team has already faced, Radley said.
“There’s no playbook, but if we can give you something to help you skip a speed bump, you’re in a better place than we were,” he said.
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