News Stories

Tiffany and Brian Kim, My Play Cafe

Toddlers and baristas: MY Play Cafe bets on playground coffee shop concept in Lee’s Summit

You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, Tiffany Kim said, recalling a trip to Las Vegas that inspired her to roll the entrepreneurial dice back home in Kansas City — despite a raging pandemic.  “I call it the most relaxing day of my motherhood career,” laughed Tiffany, co-founder of Lee’s Summit-based MY Play Cafe, recalling…

Isaac Collins, Yogurtini Overland Park

Entrepreneur opening third store: Don’t let ‘buy local’ be a fad; we’re investing it all in our businesses

Conversations and social media advocacy pivot quickly, acknowledged Isaac Collins, but “shop local” should be more than just the flavor of the week as COVID-19 serves a full menu of challenges for small business owners. “The Amazons, the Walmarts, the Targets of the world, they are going to be OK,” said Collins, a serial entrepreneur…

Ryan Maybee, Nathan Perry, and Andy Rieger, J. Rieger & Co.; Thalia Cherry, Cherry; Shea Geist and Geoffrey Geist, Shark Off; and Matt Baysinger and Ryan Henrich, Swell Spark

Startups pitching this week to earn finalists spots for ‘Mr K’ Small Biz of the Year award

Innovation-led companies are going mainstream in Kansas City with an increasing number of product, experience and tech-based startups named as candidates for the top small business prize in the city: the Mr. K Award. Such well-known names to Startland News readers as Cherry, Chicken N Pickle, Crema, Plexpod, J. Rieger & Co., McLain’s Markets, Messenger…

KC tech community likely staying home, skipping events and travel until 2021, report says

Tech leaders are now accepting that a return to work and live events will take longer — perhaps much longer — than initially expected at the outset of the Coronavirus pandemic, said Ryan Weber. “In April, there was a rosier outlook for the resumed timeframe around in-person business events, office reoccupation and business travel,” said…

Made in KC's Lee's Summit Marketplace

Made in KC replicating its Plaza marketplace in Lee’s Summit; opening set for September

A popular retail marketplace concept made in Kansas City is headed east — to the sixth-largest city in Missouri and a customer base eager to support local makers, said Thomas McIntyre. “We want to keep growing our footprint, but only where it makes sense,” said McIntyre, co-founder of Made in KC, detailing the decision to replicate…