BlackBizFest aims to make Black-owned businesses top of mind for all KC consumers
Anticipation is growing for this spring’s debut BlackBizFest, said Marsha Willis, teasing a week-long celebration that puts Black excellence and entrepreneurship on full display. Among the standout elements of the May 13-19 festival: the Kansas... Read more
A Kansas City-built Gen Z ad agency is opening a TikTok Shop challenge this spring — scrolling through plans to elevate startups’ and small business’s social media brands and offer a chance to win $100,000 in services. TRNDSTTRS Media — ... Read more
Whitney Manney has been called up to the big leagues, the Kansas City fashion designer shared, and she’s swinging for the fences with a hometown team collaboration. On Thursday’s opening day at Kauffman Stadium, the owner of the KC-based WHITNEY... Read more
The Enterprise Center in Johnson County is on a mission to prove the Kansas City metro remains a place where small businesses can grow and thrive, shared CEO Jeff Shackelford. ECJC — which is home to the Women’s Business Center, the Mid-Am... Read more
‘Startup Weekend changed my life’: 3-day competition returns with potential $150K investment prize
COLUMBIA, Missouri — Organizers of Missouri Startup Weekend — a team-based competition that takes a glimmer of a startup idea to a fleshed-out business in three days — are upping the ante in an attempt to give Show-Me State entrepreneurs a platf... Read more
Topping expectations: These brothers helped expand Pizza Tascio to 8 locations; now they’re taking over
Erik Borger hired all three Lombardino brothers in their teens, starting them out as dishwashers at his restaurants in St. Joseph, Missouri. They quickly took on other positions — front of house, staff scheduling, food and beverage orders and d... Read more
Passing the keys, passion: How a new wave of small biz owners plan to preserve beloved local brands
Some have been customers; some employees. Now they’re the new owners of popular local restaurants and retail shops. As founders step aside, fresh sets of entrepreneurs step up in hopes of carrying on the goodwill and loyal following these... Read more
Advocate knocks mayor for Troost renaming delay; calls slave owner tie KC’s ‘dirty laundry, reeking from the basement’
Kansas City can no longer whitewash its history to pretend Benoist Troost — an early KC doctor, slave owner and the namesake for Troost Avenue — was anything other than a monster, said Chris Goode, pointing blame at Mayor Quinton Lucas for a sta... Read more
Nell Hill’s founder returns to retail with ‘this little secret’ — a micro shop with an old-fashioned, in-store experience
Mary Carol Garrity’s last home furnishings store was 18,000 square feet. Her new one? A “petit bazaar” at just 400. Garrity is teaming up with longtime friend, Rebecca Wood, on diebolt’s in Midtown’s Gillham House A... Read more
The sold-out C3KC — a one-day conference that returns Tuesday, April 2 to Union Station — reflects the Junior League of Kansas City’s mission to bring together leaders for collaborative change in action, shared Ericka Duker. The Junior League —... Read more