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Chamber’s new ‘Superstars’ roster brings exposure to 2,000+ KC small businesses
Editor’s note: The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is a non-financial partner of Startland News, which serves as the media partner for the Small Business Superstars program. An excited TJ Roberts took a quick break from shoveling snow Friday in the parking lot of his Kansas City, Kansas, coffee shop to post his elation…
‘My soul is being fed’: Shonta Dabney sips the small wins in her round-the-clock quest to bring Black-roasted coffee home
While most kids were drinking milk, juice, or plain old water — Shonta Dabney held a warm mug in her hands, sipping coffee at the kitchen table with her grandparents, she recalled. “I have to be one of the very few Americans whose grandparents gave her coffee as a toddler,” Dabney laughed, looking back on where…
Just funded: First wave of Alchemy Sandbox grants aim for ‘snowball effect’ in KC
A new grant program has selected its first five awardees — with 15 more to come in 2022 — aiming to create rolling momentum for Kansas City’s main street businesses, said Miranda Schultz. The Alchemy Sandbox Program on Friday announced its first quarter grantees with entrepreneurs selected to receive as much as $5,000 for their…
SnapIT scores lucrative government contract with $50B ceiling in emerging tech space
An Overland Park IT firm’s selection to deliver technology solutions to federal agencies is the latest evolution of the Johnson County business, which has seen rapid growth over the past three years as it expanded its focus. SnapIT Solutions, a high-tech services and tech training firm headquartered in Johnson County, was tapped for the second…
Just another day in Paradise (EDU): Urban nursery turns soil to nurture STEAM students
When learners dig into the Paradise Garden Club STEAM program, they unearth non-traditional learning opportunities in a classroom cased in chlorophyll. “It starts on a very base level — using your hands to work with raw soil,” said Jessica Teliczan, owner and operator of Crossroads-planted Paradise Garden Club, teasing the newly launched effort — formally branded…
Tech meets Amish craftsmanship for a ‘matchless’ DIY home experience dealt by this KC engineer
From Kansas City-coded Stackify to his dream job at Microsoft, working in tech is a labor of love for Jason Taylor. But it couldn’t keep him from hanging a side hustle. “I’ve always been a do-it-yourself project type of person,” Taylor said, noting numerous remodeling projects he and his wife, Lindsay, have taken on over…
It’s a ‘movement, not just a moment’; H&R Block audits impact of Black excellence, businesses
Reading is among the best way to learn about Black history, said Willa Robinson, the founder and owner of Willa’s Books & Vinyl. “I’m grateful to be able to educate people about what’s going on in the Black community through books. There’s so much history on what we have experienced, what we have accomplished,” said…
Final capital push expected to bring $13M rebuild to Troost, replacing building held together by ‘duct tape, plaster, and prayer’
Decades of dreaming are coming to an end, said Father Justin Mathews, announcing the final phase of a $13 million capital campaign that’s expected to realize a long-held plan to magnify the impact of Reconciliation Services. “We’ve been in the building since 1987 — and its been held together with duct tape, plaster, and prayer,” Mathews,…
Trees might fall, but this duo’s salvaged, custom hardwood pieces are crafted to stand the test of time
Jay Norris and Nick Bianco witnessed an unexpected sight when dropping off debris from the remodel of their KCK warehouse — a discovery that would add new rings of life to their budding custom hardwoods business. “We see a bulldozer pushing trees into the dump, and we were like, ‘What the heck is going on over…
New bobblehead set replicates one of KC’s most iconic museum experiences for Black History Month
A new collection of bobbleheads is calling attention to the impact made by legends of the Negro Leagues — and offering fans and local enthusiasts the opportunity to recreate a Kansas City historical attraction at home. “These are the first bobbleheads to replicate the iconic Field of Legends,” explained Phil Sklar, co-founder and CEO of the…
