Minority-Led Stories

Poor leaders can tank employees’ mental health (and the company); his business summit puts workplace culture on blast

“I’m a big believer in human to human connection because there’s so much loneliness and isolation happening,” explained Ebrima “Abraham” Sisay, host of the You Gotta No! Podcast (YGN) and its annual YGN Summit. “That’s because we’re getting further away from what we are meant to do as humans.”

Wichita founder flexes Startup World Cup win as his company swells into fitness industry

Another Kansan is headed to San Francisco this fall for the Startup World Cup Grand Finale after winning Wichita’s regional pitch competition earlier this month. And founder Miguel Johns is wasting no time adding reps to his startup through an AI partnership with a Wichita gym.

Athena Award winners: Be more than the star player; add women to the roster, spotlight

The 2026 honors recognized two high-profile women: Angie Long, founder of Palmer Square Capital Management and co-founder and owner of the Kansas City Current (recipient the 2026 ATHENA Leadership Award); and Elaina Paige, CEO and founder of The Next Paige Talent Agency (winner of the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award).

I was wrong about sports: Why KC’s ‘escape velocity’ keeps pointing back to 18th and Vine

Sports, music, and barbecue are not three separate Kansas City brands, writes urbanist and entrepreneur Kemet Coleman. “They are one story, and it starts at 18th and Vine,” the Vine Street Brewing co-founder explained.

Celebrated nonprofit leader moving from CEO to social impact role; here’s what’s behind the transition at Reconciliation Services

A year after being honored as one of the region’s top entrepreneurs for his work to bring transformational social change to Kansas City, Father Justin Mathews is departing his leadership role at Reconciliation Services, but the community advocate won’t be going far.