News Stories

Crossroads distillery asks KC to make a toast in honor of founder lost in weekend motorcycle wreck

Update: A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support the family of the late Jeff Evans. Click here to learn more or to donate.  With doors temporarily closed early this week (July 21-22) to mourn the loss of co-founder Jeff Evans, the team behind Mean Mule Distilling is asking its community to “grieve with us,…

KC govtech startup: You shouldn’t have to know how local government works to get answers (or make impact)

Even a ripple can make waves, said Mitch Mabrey, an exited cleantech founder whose new cause finds him on a mission to ensure that the voices of residents from all walks of life are more broadly heard — and answered — by their government officials. Resonus, his Kansas City-based political information platform is designed to…

Northland BBQ spot opens, building flavors, menu from side hustle to storefront

After a decade-long journey building his BBQ business — from tailgates to a just-opened brick-and-mortar restaurant — Wardell Hooks Jr. would only change one thing along the way: He’d have quit his full-time job sooner. “My thing is the joy,” said Hooks, founder of Off the Hook BBQ, describing the feeling of accomplishment from his…

Match this: ‘Ted Lasso’ filming in KC another win for city’s tax credit pitch, mayor says 

Scoring state-side shooting locations for the newest season of “Ted Lasso” reflects a strategy by the KC Film Office that’s straight from the hit Apple TV+ series’ playbook: the harder you work, the luckier you get. “‘Ted Lasso’ filming in Kansas City represents everything we’ve been working toward,” said Rachel Kephart, director of the KC…

Kauffman Foundation launches new executive role to lead its Real World Learning team

Cross-sector collaboration will be key for Misty Chandler as she embarks on a freshly carved out journey within the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s evolving Real World Learning strategy, said Dr. Susan Klusmeier, lauding the longtime advocate for her wealth of experience with workforce readiness and student success at the University of Kansas. “Her deep understanding…