Advocate envisions Plexpod ‘art village’ rebuilding KC culture at the intersection of art, business
An arts advocate in Kansas City hopes to partner with one of the metro’s leading community coworking spaces to create a haven for nearly 1,300 art entrepreneurs. GUILDit announced Thursday plans to develop an art village within Plexpod Westport Commons — featuring coworking, studios, a theater, and gallery — with a goal to rebuild art…
Read MoreLegacy-filled eclair shop launches with crowds, pastry case lined with custom, unexpected treats
Chef Erin Luttrell recalls tales of lines out the door and around the block at her great-grandparents’ bakery in the 1920s — the inspiration behind her newly opened sweets shop on the historic Independence Square. “During the grain strike, people couldn’t get flour or bread or products to bake at home for their families, so they…
Read MoreBLK + BRWN debuts KC’s first smart bookstore with a twist: ‘I wanted to be as Black as possible’
Kansas City’s newest Black woman-owned, brick-and-mortar bookstore in Midtown has opened its doors, but customers shouldn’t judge the operation by its cover, owner Cori Smith said, revealing an additional first for the metro that has heads and pages turning. “There’s a technological aspect paired with each book,” explained Smith, owner of BLK + BRWN — Kansas…
Read MoreWhy KCRise Fund chose a Lee’s Summit-built criminal justice smartphone app for its first lead investment
A Kansas City startup’s smartphone-enabled alternative to ankle monitors taps into a huge courts and corrections market — with the potential for tremendous cost savings and societal impact, said Darcy Howe. And that docket of benefits presents a unique opportunity for KCRise Fund, which this week announced its lead investment in Lee’s Summit-based eHawk, added…
Read MoreParentSquare notches growth investment, fueled by KC startup acquisition, pandemic trends
A significant growth investment is expected to help push edtech platform ParentSquare’s expansion into new markets and products — nearly 18 months after the Santa Barbara company announced the acquisition of a Kansas City startup’s school communication app. The undisclosed investment by Serent Capital also follows ParentSquare’s successful navigation of pandemic-era communication needs between parents…
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