Woman-led Stories
Overnight proof? Boujee Baker KC rising after decades in the ooey-gooey making
It’s the wee hours of the morning. Pitch-dark sky, hardly a murmur on these urban streets. Most of Kansas City tucked in their cozy beds. But inside this tiny brick building on 12th Street earlier this week, the lights are bright, R&B music is buzzing, and the oven is blazing — ready to finish off…
Toucans and Labubus blow it: Designer boxes tissues that don’t shred your nose (or home’s aesthetic)
WICHITA — As a consumer herself, Ariel Westphal wants to expect more from the items she purchases, the budding Kansas entrepreneur said. And from a business perspective, that means crafting products that blend utility, beauty and long-lasting quality — even in something as simple as a box of tissues. “I didn’t want to just create…
Unexpected loss hit these small businesses in 2025; here’s how they’re pushing forward despite grief
Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. A restaurant in Westport and two Crossroads cocktail bars had to navigate death, loss and grief in 2025; KCUR spoke with…
KCultivator: This builder fell hard for Kansas City; turns out, it was a surprise she didn’t need to manifest
Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Kansas City is far from dry when it comes to opportunity, Becca Castro said, recalling her desert upbringing and admittedly low expectations for what a life in the Midwest could look like. “I just thought, ‘Who…
LISTEN: Kansas innovation boosters are willing to play in the same sandbox; it’s time to shout it from the rooftop, leader says
In this bonus episode of Startland News’ Plug and Play Topeka podcast series, we’re joined by Lindsay Lebahn, director and partner success manager for Plug and Play Topeka (through Go Topeka), to look ahead at what’s next for the region’s innovation ecosystem. Lebahn shares how her work bridges Go Topeka’s economic development mission with the…
