Sam Kulikov

‘People pay for value’: How a young mom’s plan to hold passion tight drives her baby apparel side hustle

Coming from a family of business owners, Riley Rhoads knew she wanted to pursue entrepreneurship: starting her own business — but with a goal to help others, the founder of Hold Tight Baby said. “When I hear people talk about, ‘Oh, I want to be an entrepreneur; I want to start and own my own…

Start small, build demand, then scale: Founders offer blueprint to creating streetwear brands that outlast today’s trend

With Kansas City’s often-crowded apparel scene mobbed by designers hoping to cash in on the Chiefs’ Super Bowl success, building a lasting brand is about much more than just having a good idea that meets the moment, said Vu Radley. “You have to know your ‘why’, who you are and why you’re doing it,” the…

KC Pioneers scored Kansas City a spot on the ‘gaming wave’; why this pro esports teams views its hometown as a championship asset

In the globe-spanning esports market, most of the top competitive gaming teams keep their hometown — if they have one — ambiguous to the public. With the industry expected to touch 1 billion people worldwide by 2029 and players untethered to physical locations, it’s simply an unimportant biographical detail to many. And potentially limiting for others….

Why the KC Pioneers refuse to stay in their lane; esports league teams with Kansas Speedway for weekend event

First they watched from stadium seats at the speedway, then from pit road. Now the fans-turned collaborators at the KC Pioneers are on track with one of their biggest partners to date: NASCAR. Kansas City’s premiere esports league has teamed up with the Kansas Speedway to bring traditional racing and esports gaming into the same…

Esports league brings new Midwest Fest event to KC, launching new Army National Guard partnership

Gamers and esports enthusiasts around the Midwest are invited to congregate, connect and create at the first annual Midwest Fest. Midwest Fest, organized by the Kansas City Pioneers and LEVELUP Arena, is a gaming and streaming convention featuring multi-title gaming tournaments for amateurs, opportunities to meet with popular creators, workshops and giveaways. The event is…