Minority-Led Stories

Wesley Hamilton, Crossfit partner on gym space flexing adaptive athletes alongside able-bodied peers

A first-of-its-kind, all-inclusive gym is emerging to reshape what fitness feels like for adaptive athletes, said Wesley Hamilton. “This vision of what we’re about to create here at Crossfit Memorial Hill is magnificent,” said Hamilton, founder and executive director of Kansas City-based nonprofit the Disabled But Not Really Foundation (DBNR), which partnered with the local…

Chris Goode, Ruby Jean's Kitchen & Juicery

Community rallies behind Chris Goode after ‘violating’ overnight Ruby Jean’s break-in

Chris Goode isn’t angry, the Ruby Jean’s founder said after an overnight break-in left shattered glass and an empty cash register at his juicery and kitchen on Troost. “When trials come, maintain the faith and just keeping pressing forward,” Goode said. “People responded to that message pretty quickly. We know that the business is supported…

Myron McCant, Kiddie Depot Learning Academy

$4M childcare center on Prospect could be pivotal for urban core development

Students who grow up in Kansas City’s urban core shouldn’t be denied access to a quality education based on their address, Myron McCant said as he thumbed through renderings of a 15,000-square-foot learning space that could soon grant such students access to a brighter future. “If you would come into my facility, then you would…

Next KCMO mayor needs this personality trait to build trust, Sly James says

The role of mayor doesn’t always require being “the lead dog on the sled,” said Sly James. Rather, it’s an opportunity for a bridge between those knowledgeable enough to make change, the outgoing KCMO mayor added. “I sit in a position where — let’s say generally, not always — when I call, people call me…

Eze Redwood, Rise Fast

KCMO adds $350K for entrepreneurs to proposed city budget after advocates’ last-minute push

Kansas City entrepreneur advocates gained more momentum Thursday in their bid to receive greater civic support for startups and small businesses. “Entrepreneurs and small businesses are the driver of the Kansas City economy,” KCMO councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Scott Wagner told Startland Thursday afternoon, following the approval of the city’s $1.73 billion budget. An…