Shop Local KC

Entrepreneurs say DoorDash accelerator delivered, prepping their small businesses for tall orders ahead 

Ten graduates of DoorDash’s 12-week Midwest accelerator gathered Wednesday to celebrate successes from the program, along with lessons they say will last longer than the $5,000 grants each entrepreneur received. “Running a small business is tough work, and it meant so much to receive support from DoorDash and my home of Kansas City,” said Tanyech…

Meet the Kansas City entrepreneurs picked for DoorDash’s first Midwest accelerator

DoorDash delivers $50K bag to 10 KC small biz leaders hungry to learn DoorDash is dropping support on Kansas City’s doorstep through a new cohort of 10 small businesses selected for the company’s local restaurant accelerator, marking the first time the nationwide initiative has landed in the Midwest — with KC chosen as its launchpad….

Best-selling tea towel maker’s business model hangs by this thread: ‘the more I give back, the more I’ll succeed’

​​Elene Banks, founder of Kansas City-based Absorb-Lumen, turned her boutique clothing store into a mission-driven business that puts eco-friendly kitchen essentials in the spotlight, all while giving back to the community through a charitable business model. “It was a happy accident,” Banks said, “We started a boutique online and tried to carry tea towels from…

Small biz makers worry Trump tariffs could be ‘recipe for recession’; Economists, farmers share concerns about trade war

An enthusiastic smile spreads across Katie Mabry Van Dieren’s face as three small groups of new customers flow into her Brookside Plaza shop — a space filled as high as the Shop Local KC owner can reach with colorful, off-beat, and functional goods and gifts from Kansas City makers. “We smelled something wonderful from outside…

Where to (pop-up) shop: Your guide to KC holiday markets featuring local makers

The impact of shopping local from Kansas City makers — especially during the holiday season — can be distilled down to one simple word, said Katie Mabry van Dieren: joy. “The look on the faces of the makers when someone finds the most special gift to give their loved one — a gift that the…