Minority-Led Stories

Meet Kauffman’s new CEO: Foundation taps former diplomat, higher ed official to lead

Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial sponsor of Startland News. A Kansas City native is poised to take leadership at one of the region’s most prominent nonprofit organizations tackling upward mobility and economic prosperity, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation announced Tuesday. Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace has been named Kauffman’s next president and…

Negativity sells, but these producers want to give creatives love (and ownership of their art)

A pair of childhood friends from Kansas City are on a mission to help small artists bring their creative visions to life, while spreading a message of love along the way. Marquis McIntosh and Kiandre “KP” Pugh — the duo behind Lovey Dovey — said that seven years of creating their own content has prepared…

It started as a T-shirt company (now it’s a popular cheesecake destination); meet the nonprofit that helped this Kansas biz pivot

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to Entrepreneurial Growth Ventures (EGV), a business unit of NetWork Kansas supporting innovative, high-growth entrepreneurs in the State of Kansas. WICHITA — Side hustles don’t…

Prepped for Phase 2: How a New Orleans-inspired caterer grew organically into a KC kitchen collective

Food is a way to bring communities together, share cultural traditions and teach individuals about the importance of a healthy, ethically-sourced meal, said Dr. Karen Patrice Boyd.  “My passion is teaching. Yes, I produce great food. But at the end of the day, I can impact the community more in terms of their knowledge and…

Cafe Cà Phê returns to the West Bottoms with second location for KC’s popular Vietnamese coffee shop

A Cafe Cà Phê satellite location inside 12th Street Post in the West Bottoms is the perfect step for continuing the mission of Kansas City’s only Vietnamese coffee shop, shared founder Jackie Nguyen. Just shy of the one year anniversary of its Columbus Park space, Cafe Cà Phê celebrated the grand opening of its new…