Woman-led Stories

They called her ‘Buckwheat’ as a child; Her genre-blending new film flips the script on preconceived narratives

Jamie Addison’s production company aims to expose realities not often explored in mainstream media or society, the Kansas City filmmaker said, particularly as they reveal truths that have been hidden to create misleading or outright false narratives around gender, race and social norms. “Let’s take back the power and identity and love ourselves; truly feel…

Married puppeteers had a hand in reviving iconic Mr. Rogers characters for film; now they’ve returned to KC (with their studio)

Puppeteers are often anonymous, but Spencer Lott — and his wife and business partner, Grace Townley — are stepping into the spotlight to start their own creative studio, they shared. The Lawrence-based couple — who built the puppets used in the Tom Hanks film “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” about the life of TV’s…

Pickle and Suede: Sporty new line plays on jewelry brand’s versatility, flexes creative muscle

Nickel and Suede is hitting the court this summer, served co-founder Kilee Nickels. The Liberty-based jewelry brand — which just celebrated its ninth birthday — has released a pickleball paddle in collaboration with Recess Pickleball, along with a line of “just the right” accessories to coordinate. “It’s kind of our stamp of approval,” Nickels said….

Smart regulation required as digital assets, blockchain push innovation faster than ever, entrepreneur says

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Jy Maze is CEO of Maze Freight Solutions and a ForbesNext1000 2021 Honoree. Kansas has seen much innovation over the past decade, but to continue that growth, we as a state need to look at new economic opportunities to drive business to our…

Cassie Taylor is just getting queerer and weirder (and thanks to a wild 72 hours, she’s now a Playboy Bunny)

Be your authentic self, said Cassie Taylor, even if that means losing people along the way.  “The biggest thing I’ve learned in the music industry is that if you’re not authentic, it is not sustainable — you’ll burn out fast. During the pandemic, I lost a lot of friends because I was very vocal about…