Woman-led Stories

Nicole Beals, Techmate

New in KC: Quarantine with family leads Techmate founder to open office in Kansas City

Editor’s note: New in KC is an ongoing profile series that highlights newly relocated members of the Kansas City startup community, their reasons for a change of scenery, and what they’ve found so far in KC. Click here to read more New in KC profiles. Growing up in Nebraska, Nicole Beals felt like she needed…

Jasmine Jones, Cherry Blossom Intimates

Boutique startup specializing in breast prosthesis for cancer survivors catches attention of KC healthcare investor

As the new year rang in 2020, Jasmine Jones envisioned pop-up shops for Cherry Blossom Intimates — an accredited medical facility housed within a lingerie boutique that provides breast cancer survivors with customizable prosthesis.  Eleven months into the unpredictable year, however, Jones innovated the startup into a virtual brand. “I had to ask myself, ‘What would…

Courtney Lane, Never Forgotten

Victorian hair artist resurrects dead art form; talks representation for asexual, disabled communities

For as long as Courtney Lane can remember, she’s had a fascination with the ways people memorialize their deceased loved ones, the Kansas City hair artist said. “I had a family who didn’t shelter me from the concept of death,” Lane recalled. “When I was 5 or 6 years old, my grandmother took me on…

Whitney Manney; Todd Race Photography

Designer Whitney Manney using JOANN grant to reshape the fabric of KC’s fashion scene

Kansas City is legit — and it’s full of talented creatives who national eyes should be watching, said Whitney Manney.  “I think COVID has shown us you can show up and show out from anywhere in this world,” added Manney, a local fashion designer, maker, and founder of the WHITNEYMANNEY (WM) fashion label, in announcement…

Jannae Gammage, The Market Base

Former Army intelligence analyst deploys expertise, entrepreneurship to the Market Base

Editor’s note: The following is part of a three-part series spotlighting U.S. military veterans who also are Kansas City entrepreneurs. Hustle runs deep for Jannae Gammage, she said, looking back on the one thing that’s been uniquely hers since childhood: entrepreneurship.  “My first business was at 14,” said Gammage, founder and CEO of The Market…