News Stories

David Roberson and Jared Meek at Adelante Thrift

Why an Evangelical church in KCK opened a thrift store to build leaders in its immigrant-rich neighborhood 

The heart and purpose of Mission Adelante is to develop and empower community members — especially its neighbors who come from backgrounds far from Kansas City, said Jared Meek.  “We started Mission Adelante in 2005 to really reach out to the immigrant and refugee community in our neighborhood. We focused a lot on individual transformation,…

Analysts speak during the HCS Major Kansas City 2022, a bracket-style Halo tournament, at the Kansas City Convention Center

Halo championship arrives downtown as KC-built esports team ‘pioneers a dynasty’

KC Pioneers gain support of Chiefs, Charlie Hustle and other hometown household names for its #MyCity campaign as Kansas City hosts major esports tournament  It’s time to showcase Kansas City’s esports and tech community on a global scale, said Mark Josey — and what better way to do so than with a worldwide tournament hosted…

Myron McCant, KD Academy, celebrates after being named a finalist for the 2022 Small Business of the Year honor

Meet the KC Chamber’s Top 10 for 2022: One will be the next ‘Small Business of the Year’ 

From a rapidly expanding restaurant chain to a 24/7 daycare facility to a workforce training and information technology leader building a statewide footprint, the finalists for the 2022 Small Business of the Year award run the gamut of forward-thinking Kansas City ventures, said Joe Reardon. “Every year I become more and more impressed with our…

Mitch Case, More Than A Meal, talks with Deb North, Yes! Athletics, during the Chamber's Small Business Showcase at Union Station

Three-way tie: Public vote mixes ‘Fan Favorite’ small business honors between meals and more

A trio of Kansas City small businesses is sharing the Honeywell Fan Favorite Award this week after wowing the public during the Chamber’s recent candidate showcase at Union Station. “The rules can be bent,” said Eric Wollerman, president of Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies, announcing the three-way tie in the lead-up to the Greater Kansas…

Avatar for hire (in a few years): Gamified career platform helps kids explore their future in the workforce

It’s a powerful question asked in classrooms every day, Jessica Munoz Valerio said, recalling her own experience with the common prompt and how tapping into and gamifying it could change lives.  “When my daughter was young — as early as 5 years old — she got asked, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’”she…