Latest Stories
New in KC: How a Twitch powerhouse is building her following (and gunpla) from Kansas City
Editor’s note: New in KC is an ongoing profile series that highlights newly relocated members of the Kansas City startup community, their reasons for a change of scenery, and what they’ve found so far in KC. Click here to read more New in KC profiles. As her career leveled up, a Twitch-personality found herself headed back to Kansas City…
What began as a T-shirt line now boasts a coast-to-coast marketplace backing women-owned businesses
For women in entrepreneurship, competition can hinder collaboration, Tiffiney Baumgarden said, outlining her mission to judge less and live more. “I was really sick of the way women were talking to each other — particularly online,” said Baumgarden, founder and CEO of Crossing Broadway, detailing her experience (and that of many other local women she’s encountered,…
KC to DC: Students roll out legislation to ban secondhand smoke in vehicles; ‘Quit Kids Smoking’ nationwide
Editor’s note: Startland is the parent organization of Startland News, though this report was produced independently by Startland News’ non-profit newsroom. Click here to read more about Startland’s education and real-world learning work. Four teenagers from high schools across Kansas City have banded together in hopes of passing legislation to prohibit smoking products that contain…
Liberation through innovation: Why KC Girls Prep focuses on history, culture to empower students
Striving to create feminist, anti-racist leaders does not come with a checklist, said Tara Haskins — rather it takes creative thinking and the willingness to go beyond established norms. “To be anti-racist is to first acknowledge history and the stories we tell,” said Haskins, who serves as the founding school leader at KC Girls Preparatory…
Bamboo Penny’s plants KC Thai in Leawood, plating culture alongside pineapple fried rice
Fearlessness is on the menu for Chef Penny Mufuka, a 25-year veteran of the stovetop, bringing to boil plans for a second Johnson County-cooked restaurant in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It makes me sweat everyday,” Mufuka laughed, musing the decision she made with husband and co-owner, Doug Mufuka, to open Bamboo Penny’s in…
Tangible ‘teleportation’: Shawnee Mission East grad re-envisions how humans communicate over distance
Serving as a caregiver to his late mother during her battle with cancer prepared Akshay Dinakar for the next step in his journey as an entrepreneur, he said. “I learned how to do everything — constantly be on call; be able to suit up faster than a fireman and drive to the hospital at a…
Smart move: Toby Rush-led company shipping its HQ to Edison District in OP, aims to deliver ‘delight’ to workers
Smart Warehousing is on the move — packing up its Edgerton headquarters and relocating to an Overland Park innovation hub. The warehousing and fulfillment solutions company is expected to occupy a portion of the newly-completed Edison District, the company announced this week. “Relocating our headquarters to downtown Overland Park and maintaining our Edgerton operations positions us well…
Mayor announces 500 paid summer internships for at-risk KC youth; employers urged to signup
An effort backed by Kansas City’s mayor and a coalition of nonprofit groups hopes to reduce violence impacting KCMO’s at-risk teens by expanding employment opportunities. The “Working for Youth” formula announced Thursday: 500 paid summer internships to grow the city’s capacity to train, coach and employ young people — specifically focusing on 10 percent of…
After historic church’s collapse, Unruh Furniture builds new showroom in one of the Plaza’s busiest hubs
The demolition of Westminster Congregational Church not only puts an end to its one-of-a-kind architecture, but also the century-long memories that come with the building, said Sam Unruh. “When I first stumbled across the old church, it had been vacant for seven or eight years and was in really bad shape,” recalled the founder of…
First look: Made in KC opens Martini Corner shop with The Black Pantry, limited-run attractions
Made in KC’s new flagship shop on the revitalized Martini Corner in Midtown — a storefront shared with The Black Pantry — is a place of discovery, said Keith Bradley, emphasizing the eclectic blend of Kansas City products alongside home goods, specialty foods, and daily necessities from Black-owned companies. The 1,300-square-foot Made in KC retail space…
