Woman-led Stories
Fashion (role) models: How Love Spot KC’s simple statement tees inspire more than words
One of Kansas City’s latest apparel companies isn’t just another T-shirt shop — it’s a Black-owned, woman-owned empowerment engine that even a global pandemic hasn’t shaken, said Courtnee White. “A business that is showing diversity in women, I think that’s a huge thing,” White, owner of the Love Spot KC, said of the brand’s mission to…
Yoli Tortilleria grinds success into perfect warm tortilla, opening retail experience in Westside
A new retail operation in Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood is a sign of massive growth, hot on the griddle for Yoli Tortilleria. “There’s nothing, for me, better than once you put that warm tortilla in your hands and just experience it,” said Marissa Gencarelli, who co-owns and operates Yoli with her husband, Mark. “There’s a…
Brown Sugar Collective promises sisterhood of support, collaboration for women of color
When it comes to entrepreneurial support in Kansas City, women of color often are left out of conversations that could help them grow their businesses, said Ashley Rudd. “They don’t necessarily feel like their voice is heard,” Rudd, founder of the personal shopping startup She’s Thrifted, said of her experience within the metro’s entrepreneurial community and…
‘Humans are the real technology,’ mother-daughter holistic health duo says
Balancing health tech with holistic and Taoist perspectives keeps the most important startup element — humans — top of mind, said Stacy Tucker. “Being in the tech space, we have these amazing advances in medical technology, yet we have gotten further and further away from humans as the real technology,” said Tucker, co-founder of Kansas…
Start with heart: Sisters’ yard signs offer a ‘stepping stone’ to support Black lives
Amari and Sa’mya Lewis’ young entrepreneurial venture — a yard sign featuring a simple black heart — first spread in a predominantly white Johnson County neighborhood, the teenage sisters said. Amid ongoing national discourse over the “Black Lives Matter” movement, in which the meaning of those three words often is debated, the sign makers have…
