Minority-Led Stories

Can’t-miss Saigons: KC’s Vietnamese coffee shop debuting long-awaited storefront, new drinks after slow drip

Two years after her Vietnamese coffee cart’s opening act — popping up in local businesses and parking lots across the city — Jackie Nguyen has found her audience, formed a community and will soon, finally, take center stage with her own standalone Cafe Cà Phê in Columbus Park. “When I moved to Kansas City, I…

Alone or in the club: Virtual jukebox app spins back after laying new tracks as a social experience

Former music promoter Adell Hendon said he knew he couldn’t keep the turnup going forever on his own. Now the Kansas City native is helping other people party even longer with his socially-interactive virtual jukebox app — YouSpin. “I used to throw a lot of parties with DJs and even independent artists — a lot…

Nightlife app enhances its flavor with Westport Bars, KC brewing company partnerships

A strategic partnership with Westport Bars is going to do more than drive partygoers to the UpDown Nightlife app, Joshua Lewis said; it will give the startup data needed to scale its platform nationwide. “Through this partnership, we’re going to be able to really build out our business model,” said Lewis, the founder and CEO…

Stream smarter, safer: Former Cisco engineer aims to replace Zoom as top video conferencing platform

Kenneth Yancy has been live streaming since the early 2000s — a time when not many were interested in the technology, he said. But 20 years later, a virtual-hybrid work model featuring video conferencing is the norm.  “In 2001, I was working for Cisco as an engineer. My team and I built the first live…

Feeling bad vibes at work? It actually could be your own fault (Holistic Hustle)

Kharissa Parker-Forte is a news producer, writer, certified health coach, and columnist for Startland News.  Read her “Holistic Hustle” columns for Startland News here. For more of her self-care tips on how to keep your cup full, visit kparker.co. Editor’s note: This commentary kicks off Parker-Forte’s series on the 7 Pillars of Self-Care by discussing…