Brandon Calloway
Entrepreneurship is the path to freedom; how Black business pioneers’ legacies still stand today
Editor’s note: The perspectives expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Brandon Calloway is CEO and Co-Founder of Generating Income For Tomorrow (G.I.F.T.), and now writes a weekly blog, The Equity Advocate. In the past eighteen months of traveling from city to city, I’ve made it a point to delve into the histories of…
Chef brings Urban concept back to Troost; $25K GIFT grant boosts fight against gentrification
Chef Justin Clark’s latest venture — an eatery that blends Asian and soul food influences — aims to not only blur the boundaries between menus, but break down dividing lines within and between communities. “The goal was to create familiar items that everyone actually can relate to as Americans, but then again, we add some…
Coffee shop owner (and superhero super fan) pours himself into the pages of Darkmoon Comics
Mike Gladney might not be living in the Marvel or DC universes, but he is dwelling within the realm of his own dream world surrounded by comic books, he shared. Gladney — and his wife, Vania — own Comic Coffeehouse in Olathe, and now he’s also the editor-in-chief for Kansas City-based Darkmoon Comics. “I’m doing…
$30K grand prize: Sisters embrace vegan comfort eats potential with Mattie’s Food’s big win
Arvelisha Woods and India Monique plan to use their grand prize winnings from Friday’s We Are Black pitch competition to invest in the community’s health, they said. Mattie’s Foods won $30,000 in the second annual G.I.F.T. event, which saw 10 Black-owned businesses vying for funding to fuel their business dreams. The winning co-founders of the…
C2FO awards grants to three KC nonprofits boosting Black entrepreneurs with intention
A new grants program developed by one of Kansas City’s biggest scaleups was founded with a clear purpose, said Jay Lott, announcing the effort’s first three nonprofit recipients and touting C2FO’s ongoing commitment to community engagement within the Kansas City region. “We want to support the nonprofit organizations that are focused on intentionally elevating Black…
