Woman-led Stories

Nonprofit launching retail incubator for Asian-owned businesses; next up: a cultural district in Columbus Park

A new retail incubator in a former Columbus Park tattoo shop is expected to push forward the nonprofit mission of Hella Good Deeds — amplifying the Asian community in Kansas City — while boosting sales for Asian-owned, product-based businesses, said Béty Lê Shackelford. The vision for “Jade Market”: take over the recently-vacated Tiger Alley Tattoo…

Pipeline reveals new founder-first cohort: Meet the entrepreneurs fueling a Midwest innovation surge 

With more than a dozen new members joining its fellowship, the Pipeline Entrepreneurs network is growing not only its ranks, Melissa Vincent said; the elite founder-focused program is working to ensure the best of Midwest innovation stays in the region. “We have assembled a powerful group of founders, ranging from deep-tech and life sciences in…

Pipeline plants seeds for ‘best of the best’ emerging founders: Meet its growing Pathfinder cohort

Entrepreneurs tapped for Pipeline’s latest rotation of Pathfinder programming reflect an expanded expression of the elite network’s founding principle: use a purpose-built community to close long-standing gaps for leaders who have historically lacked capital, resources, and networks. A sister program to Pipeline’s Fellowship, Pathfinder targets support to early-stage founders from underserved Midwest communities who often…

It took a relentless ‘army’ of Topekans to open this innovation hub; now it’s time to build

TOPEKA — Moving the capital city’s crown jewel innovation space from start to finish was anything but a straight-line endeavor, said Molly Howey, describing the focus — and patience — that helped push the project forward, despite plenty of opportunities for collaborators to give up. “This is one of those events that I really don’t…

Someone will win $1M listening to this song; how a KC artist juiced MrBeast’s cryptic Super Bowl commercial

It isn’t necessarily an official clue, but one of the many easter eggs tucked within MrBeast’s just-premiered “Million Dollar Puzzle” features a Kansas City plot twist: the “epic” cut of Cheyenne Jolene’s pop-pounding single “Juice.” Launched as part of a Salesforce ad with more than 100 million Super Bowl viewers, the commercial challenges savvy audience…