This (still) ain’t luck: How a decade of grit proved these urban heroes are ‘more than just clothes’
April 18, 2025 | Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
MADE MOBB’s ‘collaboration is community’ mindset takes the stage as streetwear brand named an Urban Hero
Earning the title “Urban Hero” allows the owners of MADE MOBB an opportunity to publicly give themselves flowers, they said, sharing a twist on the slogan from one of their most popular tees.
A sticker sheet shows past “Give Your People Flowers” wordmark designs; photo courtesy of MADE MOBB
MADE MOBB — a Crossroads-based streetwear brand and community hub — was one of five awardees recently named Urban Heroes by the Downtown Council of Kansas City. Mindful of the accomplishment, co-owners Vu Radley, Mark Launiu, and Jesse Phouanphet paused their signature hustle — just briefly — to celebrate MADE MOBB’s growth and their own individual successes along the way, the trio explained.
“I think when you’re entrenched in and doing a lot of the work of a small business, you don’t zoom out a lot,” Phouanphet said. “So winning the award also was a chance for us to give ourselves flowers and recognize the impact for ourselves. It was just cool to just reflect and be a part of that.”
“It was a moment to smell the flowers too,” Launiu added. “Because, like Jesse said, we get so locked into our own journeys as a small business. And it’s hard enough for small businesses just to survive.”
Click here to shop MADE MOBB or here to check out one of the brands “Give your people flowers” designs. (A new drop for spring 2025 is expected in May.)
But MADE MOBB and its founders have done far more than survive the day-to-day, open-to-close perils of more than a decade in business, slinging T-shirts, dad hats and some of Kansas City’s most iconic designs.
“We tell everybody, ‘We can’t write big checks to anybody, but we can give our time, our talent, our knowledge, and give back to the community that way, especially through the youth and up-and-coming small entrepreneurs. … Collaboration is community. Community is collaboration. Without the two, it doesn’t work.”
— Vu Radley, MADE MOBB
Vu Radley and Mark Launiu at the original MADE MOBB storefront on Grand Boulevard in 2017; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News
Founded in 2013, the streetwear venture — one of Startland News’ past Kansas City Startups to Watch — regularly collaborates on apparel drops with partners ranging from the Kansas City Chiefs, Worlds of Fun, KC Current, United Way, Quik Trip, and UMKC to fellow small businesses like SewKC, the Kansas City Pioneers, Vine Street Brewing, and Cafe Cà Phê.
Its owners judge student pitch competitions and raise funds for their neighborhoods, mentor fellow creatives, and lead cross-industry educational sessions, touching on investing, real estate and, yes, starting a clothing brand.
Launiu was honored as Samoan Business/Entrepreneur Award of the Year in 2023 by the Samoan Community Organization and the Big Uce Youth Outreach. Radley was named a Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City Hall of Fame Laureate in 2024.
Their annual fashion show, The Kritiq — set to return May 18 at The Abbott — and other MADE MOBB-led events showcase local creatives while raising awareness about mental health, frequently focusing on breaking stigmas for men. And the brand recently wrapped a soccer tennis tournament and festival alongside Café Ollama and Café Cà Phê to benefit Ryogoku Soccer Academy in Kansas City’s Northland.
Up next: MADE MOBB’s First Friday block party will gather vendors from across the city, food trucks, and music performances May 2 at the 221 Southwest Blvd. shop, followed by more pop-ups later in the month in recognition of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
Click here to follow MADE MOBB on Instagram to keep track of coming events.
MADE MOBB owners Vu Radley, Mark Launiu, and Jesse Phouanphet accept an Urban Hero award during the Downtown Council’s annual luncheon; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
Fellow Urban Hero award recipients included Jaynell “KK” Assman, founder of Care Beyond the Boulevard; Kristin Riott, executive director of Bridging the Gap; Chris Sally, owner of Iconic Development and community advocate; and Octavio “Chapto” Villalobos, KCPD Officer at Westside CAN Center.
MADE MOBB owners Vu Radley, Mark Launiu, and Jesse Phouanphet accept an Urban Hero award during the Downtown Council’s annual luncheon; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
“These individuals and organizations are dedicated to making connections — not only in their communities — but throughout downtown through their roles as nonprofits, developers, retailers, and impact makers,” said Jared Campbell, resident engagement project manager at the Downtown Council, in a statement. “These award winners exemplify the spirit of collaboration and innovation that makes Downtown Kansas City a vibrant and thriving community.”
Once the MADE MOBB co-owners did their homework on the award, they realized that it was a really “big deal,” Radley noted.
“It’s an honor to be recognized for something so esteemed,” he continued.
“It was a cool opportunity for us to shake hands with people that are doing great things in the city,” Phouanphet added.
View this post on Instagram
The trio said connections, collaboration, and innovation are the ethos of MADE MOBB.
“We try to give back as much as we can,” Radley explained. “We tell everybody, ‘We can’t write big checks to anybody, but we can give our time, our talent, our knowledge, and give back to the community that way, especially through the youth and up-and-coming small entrepreneurs.”
“Collaboration and community has always been the biggest part of MADE MOBB,” he continued. “Collaboration is community. Community is collaboration. Without the two, it doesn’t work. We are 12 to 13 years in because of the community. So when you take things from the community, you’ve got to give back.”
“We are community based,” Launiu added. “So it’s cool to see how they summarized us, like, ‘MADE MOBB, a community-based small business.’ That’s cool to see because we’re more than just clothes.”
Featured Business
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
‘My soul is being fed’: Shonta Dabney sips the small wins in her round-the-clock quest to bring Black-roasted coffee home
While most kids were drinking milk, juice, or plain old water — Shonta Dabney held a warm mug in her hands, sipping coffee at the kitchen table with her grandparents, she recalled. “I have to be one of the very few Americans whose grandparents gave her coffee as a toddler,” Dabney laughed, looking back on where…
Just funded: First wave of Alchemy Sandbox grants aim for ‘snowball effect’ in KC
A new grant program has selected its first five awardees — with 15 more to come in 2022 — aiming to create rolling momentum for Kansas City’s main street businesses, said Miranda Schultz. The Alchemy Sandbox Program on Friday announced its first quarter grantees with entrepreneurs selected to receive as much as $5,000 for their…
SnapIT scores lucrative government contract with $50B ceiling in emerging tech space
An Overland Park IT firm’s selection to deliver technology solutions to federal agencies is the latest evolution of the Johnson County business, which has seen rapid growth over the past three years as it expanded its focus. SnapIT Solutions, a high-tech services and tech training firm headquartered in Johnson County, was tapped for the second…
Just another day in Paradise (EDU): Urban nursery turns soil to nurture STEAM students
When learners dig into the Paradise Garden Club STEAM program, they unearth non-traditional learning opportunities in a classroom cased in chlorophyll. “It starts on a very base level — using your hands to work with raw soil,” said Jessica Teliczan, owner and operator of Crossroads-planted Paradise Garden Club, teasing the newly launched effort — formally branded…