Listen: From Brazil to Kansas City, furniture entrepreneur shares journey
March 28, 2017 | Startland Staff
Editor’s note: In partnership with the KC Greats podcast, hosted by Scott Parman, Startland News hopes to offer its audience more avenues to learn about entrepreneurs in Kansas City. Opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone.
In this episode, host Scott Parman welcomes the founder of Freedom Companies Carol Espinosa.

Carol Espinosa
Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Espinosa attended the University of Kansas for Creative Writing. Her path unexpectedly led her to working at a local office furniture dealership. After seven years on the job, Espinosa eventually opened her own independent office furniture firm Freedom Companies.
Espinosa shares how she managed to break into an established industry as a newcomer as well as her trek to becoming an American citizen.
Learn more with the podcast below.

2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Rally Gin pours into KC as childhood friends mix spirit of resilience with Black-owned, woman-owned brand
After launching in the Los Angeles market, Rally Gin is coming home — distilling a pandemic dream into Kansas City reality. “We have so much pride in being Kansas City natives and are thrilled to share Rally Gin with the town,” said Alysha Daicy, co-founder. A launch event honoring Rally’s expansion into the Midwest is planned…
Hack Midwest set for July return — challenging coders to build game-changing apps in 24 hours
After a four year hiatus, Kansas City’s largest coding competition is back, bringing with it more than 300 of the region’s most talented software engineers — set to battle it out in July for prizes and honors. “Adding to Kansas City’s momentum as a leading tech hub, Hack Midwest gives passionate software engineers the opportunity to…
It’s wheels up for KC flight attendant-turned headwear designer: Heavy Head takes flight
Jaclyn Heupel had a gut feeling early in the pandemic that she would eventually get furloughed from her job as a flight attendant with American Airlines. Brainstorming ideas for a side gig to help her pass the time led Heupel to a sewing machine and fabric. Watching YouTube videos brought experimentation with materials. She settled…
Chefs transform ‘ugly’ produce into beautiful dinners: How Kanbe’s Markets is taking food waste off the menu
From lumpy apples to a spotty potato, foods with cosmetic flaws are still edible and nutritionally dense, said Ali Curbow. “People turn away these types of produce because it is considered ‘ugly’ — but we’re hoping to showcase that these ugly produce can be made into something beautiful,” said Curbow, marketing manager at Kanbe’s Markets,…
