Minority-Led Stories
Founder to founder: One day you’re eating cheap ramen, the next you’re KC’s big exit story; struggles define startups as much as success
Even after building a startup into one of Kansas City’s biggest exit success stories, the entrepreneurs and leaders behind BacklotCars don’t sit around to talk about their grand achievements when they reunite, said Anders Ericson; they reminisce about how the tech company nearly went out of business along the way. “Everyone always wants to ask…
Blerdy for 30: KC comic creator’s documentary takes Black nerd culture from niche to your screen
A recently launched Kansas City entertainment company hopes to become the digital epicenter of “Blerd” — shorthand for Black nerd — content, said Brandon Calloway. Now the founder of Blerd TV, Calloway debuted the Blerd YouTube channel in January, where more than 3,000 subscribers already have access to free content, he said. However, that represents…
Sleeping on the job: Why a power nap at work isn’t such a bad idea (and how to get away with it)
Kharissa Parker is a news producer, writer, certified health coach, and columnist for Startland News. For more of her self-care tips on how to keep your cup full, visit kparker.co. If there’s anything to be said about Millennials and Gen Z, it’s that we’re changing the entire structure of what a 9-to-5 looks like. With…
16 small businesses in 60 seconds: Did you spot your favorite entrepreneur in the Royals’ new campaign?
It’s a new season, but longtime connections fly deep into the outfield for the Kansas City Royals and a fandom that’s supported them for decades. Among those most impacted: entrepreneurs whose stories run along the same baseline as the championship-winning baseball club. “It might sound crazy, but I honestly credit a lot of our growth…
KC record label disrupts music industry with incubator studio concept that gives artists more freedom, ownership
Casio McCombs’ most creative ideas come to him during “dream hours” — late at night and early in the morning when a majority of people are asleep, he shared. “That’s when all these new ideas for music and how to structure the label would really hit us,” said McCombs, who co-founded the Kansas City-based record…
