Minority-Led Stories
‘We are the culture’: KC Chamber finalists link business identity to leadership at the top
“This is our American Dream, it’s our version of it,” said Vu Radley, describing the early days and journey of MADE MOBB, the streetwear brand he built alongside fellow first-generation immigrant co-founders Jesse Phouangphet and Mark Launiu.
Supplier stops along Prospect: Bus tour connects corporate buyers to east side businesses
The Prospect Business Association is leaning into a more hands-on approach to economic development, said Simone Curls, describing a support concept that brings decision-makers directly into the spaces where small businesses operate — opening the door to future contracts, collaborations, and long-term economic sustainability for entrepreneurs.
‘This is a different type of founder’: LaunchKC reveals latest social venture cohort
Kansas City’s startup community has helped Trina Nudson feel seen and understood as an emerging entrepreneur, the Be Aligned founder shared. A spot in this year’s Social Venture Studio cohort could help her dig even deeper into the business realities of the unknown, she said. “I’m an attorney, and if you turn to a fellow…
1 Million Cups pops the bubble, opening stage to rapid-fire pitches from global entrepreneurs
Kansas City’s 1 Million Cups gathering took on an international focus Wednesday, as 13 entrepreneurs from Latin America and the Caribbean joined the community through the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative. Hosted in partnership with Global Ties KC, the gathering featured a special “Rapid 1MC” format, with five international founders presenting before a combined…
From scratch to scale: Mr D’s owners expanding brand with family owned donut shops at the center
Mr D’s Donuts is continuing a steady expansion across the Kansas City metro, with a new South Overland Park location now in development along with a mid-summer Kansas City, Missouri storefront.
