Latest Stories

It’s easy for small biz to get lost in the shuffle; How ECJC offers a lifeline to Main Street, startup entrepreneurs

The Enterprise Center in Johnson County is on a mission to prove the Kansas City metro remains a place where small businesses can grow and thrive, shared CEO Jeff Shackelford. ECJC — which is home to the Women’s Business Center, the Mid-America Angels and the Women’s Capital Connection angel investment networks, as well as the…

Advocate knocks mayor for Troost renaming delay; calls slave owner tie KC’s ‘dirty laundry, reeking from the basement’

Kansas City can no longer whitewash its history to pretend Benoist Troost — an early KC doctor, slave owner and the namesake for Troost Avenue — was anything other than a monster, said Chris Goode, pointing blame at Mayor Quinton Lucas for a stalled effort to change the east side corridor’s controversial name.  “There’s no…

C3KC 2022 at Union Station

C3KC organizers: Want to bring real social change to Kansas City? Let’s talk about it

The sold-out C3KC — a one-day conference that returns Tuesday, April 2 to Union Station — reflects the Junior League of Kansas City’s mission to bring together leaders for collaborative change in action, shared Ericka Duker. The Junior League — which aims to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration and…

Passing the keys, passion: How a new wave of small biz owners plan to preserve beloved local brands

Some have been customers; some employees. Now they’re the new owners of popular local restaurants and retail shops. As founders step aside, fresh sets of entrepreneurs step up in hopes of carrying on the goodwill and loyal following these brands have built up, some for decades. John McClelland and his brother-in-law, Johnathan Griffiths, work together…

Topping expectations: These brothers helped expand Pizza Tascio to 8 locations; now they’re taking over

Erik Borger hired all three Lombardino brothers in their teens, starting them out as dishwashers at his restaurants in St. Joseph, Missouri.  They quickly took on other positions — front of house, staff scheduling, food and beverage orders and deliveries, and hiring and firing workers. If an employee didn’t show up for a shift, they…

Nell Hill’s founder returns to retail with ‘this little secret’ — a micro shop with an old-fashioned, in-store experience

Mary Carol Garrity’s last home furnishings store was 18,000 square feet. Her new one? A “petit bazaar” at just 400. Garrity is teaming up with longtime friend, Rebecca Wood, on diebolt’s in Midtown’s Gillham House Antiques & Furnishings. The shop, which is scheduled for an April 19 soft opening, is expected to offer a “fun…

Urban designer behind Royals’ Crossroads ballpark pioneered the modern MLB stadium (and he has the bats to prove it)

It’s difficult to find a Major League Baseball stadium that Earl Santee hasn’t influenced with his philosophy of community-oriented design. Called the “Godfather of ballparks,” Santee — the recently named CEO of Populous and literal architect of the proposed Kansas City Royals ballpark district in the East Crossroads — either designed or renovated two dozen…

Royals change stadium plan to keep Oak Street open to traffic, but fate of businesses is uncertain

Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. The Royals’ original plan was to place the team’s corporate offices and entertainment venues on Oak Street, which would close the…

Royals Crossroads ballpark plan revs parking debate; how ‘creatures of comfort’ would need to adapt to a new downtown

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Kansas City PBS/Flatland, a member of the KC Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, The Kansas City Beacon, and Missouri Business Alert. Click here to read the original story. Here’s the essential message that the Kansas City Royals have for folks fretting about…

Drug side effects could kill you; meet the KS lab team using DNA testing to save patients

A clinical reference laboratory in Olathe is working to make DNA testing for genetically optimized medications more routine and accessible in healthcare, Dr. Ziyan Pessetto shared. Sinochips Diagnostics — founded in 2019 by Dr. Jiawu Song, along with Pessetto and Dr. Andrew Godwin — was conceived with the vision to make pharmacogenomics (PGx) an integral…