Woman-led Stories

Cookies have taken over Sweet Kiss, but this mother-daughter brigadeiro shop has even more baked inside

For Jessica Harris, a brigadeiro offers a taste of home, she said, and for almost a decade, she’s been sharing those Brazilian truffles with Kansas City. When the Sweet Kiss Brigadeiro co-founder relocated to the City of Fountains in 1996 — following her sister who moved the year before to play basketball for Penn Valley…

Catalyst Fund tops $2M invested in nonprofits boosting people of color; meet the latest grantees

The latest batch of Catalyst Fund grants — a combined $500,000 across nearly two dozen organizations — seeks to elevate the work of small nonprofits that are led by or primarily serve Black, Latino, and other people of color across the region, said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace. “Looking across the list of organizations in this third…

Just funded: Meet the newest Digital Sandbox KC startups (and see what they’re building now)

Digital Sandbox KC this week announced five new startups joining its program that will receive crucial support, mentorship and up to $20,000 in project funding to accelerate their innovative projects.  “We are delighted to bring these cutting-edge startups into the Sandbox, connecting them with the necessary support and resources to advance their innovative projects,” said…

Pulling $250K in annual sales and ready to scale? This KC cohort could take your small biz to the next level

As many as 20 local entrepreneurs and business owners could be selected for the latest game-changing program from ScaleUP! Kansas City. The key to getting in: proven revenue and a market ready for their supercharged ventures. ScaleUP! Kansas City — built within the UMKC Innovation Center — is now accepting applications for its no-cost cohort,…

‘It’s OK to start small’: She knew nothing about decorating cookies; a year later this baker quit her full-time job to scale up

Karissa Todd has taken a family recipe, added in a little hard work and dedication, and baked it into a thriving sugar cookie business, she shared. After launching Cookie Bliss KC out of her house in 2018, Todd opened a storefront in the Northland, 3518 Northeast Vivion Road, in November, selling her signature soft sugar…