Woman-led Stories

‘Invest with women we know’: This $1.4M wellness hub project is redeveloping one neighborhood from within 

It’s an old real estate adage: “Buy the worst house in the best neighborhood.” Longtime Kansas City commercial broker Sheryl Vickers said it also applies to business properties, “one thousand percent.”  Like twin mid-century office buildings just over the Missouri/Kansas state line in Prairie Village.  “I drove by it, what a sad state,” said Vickers,…

Street art to stage: KC fashion designer styles iconic Jim Crow-era musical comedy without missing a beat

Designing for theater gives Whitney Manney the opportunity to be as big and loud as she wants, the street bespoke creator said. A new musical production of “Hairspray” puts Manney’s bold aesthetic through a new lens — and alongside a timely story of acceptance, diversity, and the power of music. “There is no such thing…

‘People pay for value’: How a young mom’s plan to hold passion tight drives her baby apparel side hustle

Coming from a family of business owners, Riley Rhoads knew she wanted to pursue entrepreneurship: starting her own business — but with a goal to help others, the founder of Hold Tight Baby said. “When I hear people talk about, ‘Oh, I want to be an entrepreneur; I want to start and own my own…

New in KC: Ops leader joins KCSourceLink to strengthen network’s collective impact for entrepreneurs

A newly created director of operations role at KCSourceLink is expected to boost efforts to connect entrepreneurs and small businesses with hundreds of resources for growing and scaling their ventures in Kansas City, as well as across the state through MOSourceLink. Dena Thomas Aouassou, a veteran of nonprofit entrepreneurship support and workforce training, recently relocated…

Pipeline doubles-down on diverse voices: Meet its new class of Pathfinder entrepreneurs

Programs built to support emerging founders who are primed to break through — despite entering entrepreneurship from a different starting point — have never been more needed, said Melissa Vincent, announcing the newest class of Pipeline Pathfinders. “In today’s climate, programs like Pathfinder are not just valuable — they’re essential,” said Vincent, CEO of Pipeline…