All Stories

Critics challenge DEI as ‘immoral’; this VC has a message for those seeking equity for Black, Brown founders: We are not powerless

By Tommy Felts / October 20, 2023

Pushing for equity in long-siloed industries might seem obvious to some, said Marcus Whitney, but advocates for change must remember that not everyone is on board — and some are actively working against level the playing field. “I hate to say it, but we have enemies,” Whitney told a crowd gathered Thursday at Vine Street…

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Not excited about these 3 Downtown KC projects? ‘You need to have your pulse checked’

By Tommy Felts / October 20, 2023

It’s never been a better time for businesses in Downtown Kansas City, shared Mike Klamm. “A lot of us are Kansas City natives, and if you’re not excited about where we are right now, I do think you need to have your pulse checked,” said Klamm, chair of the Downtown Council board and senior vice…

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Donutology’s trolley adds new flavor to River Market with streetcar shop stop’s opening

By Tommy Felts / October 20, 2023

Kansas City’s new treat trolley has arrived with Friday’s opening of the new Donutology donut shop within a 70-year-old repurposed streetcar in River Market. Just a few months after news broke that Donutology would take over the space at 426 Delaware St. — formerly a Made in KC micro location — the business opened its…

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Acquiring company: Homebase’s KC team will make valuable workforce, leadership additions

By Tommy Felts / October 20, 2023

Homebase’s acquisition by an industry leader in the smart home space this week gives its Kansas City team a greater voice in redefining the future of living, said Blake Miller, sharing details of what the exit means for the talent at his Crossroads headquarters. “We’ve created an entirely new category in an industry (real estate)…

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‘This one felt pretty epic’: PorchFestKC saturates neighbors with six hours of music, 135 artists

By Tommy Felts / October 19, 2023

Returning to the steps for PorchFestKC four years later — albeit on a different porch and in a new neighborhood — Erica McKenzie was wowed by the walk-up audience’s reaction to her performance Saturday at the resurrected Midtown music festival. “I’ve always had a lovely turnout the past few years but this one felt pretty epic,”…

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Supporters-turned critics: Sales tax for east side projects ‘went off the rails’; KCMO mayor defends effort’s progress

By Tommy Felts / October 19, 2023

Editor’s note: This in-depth reporting project was originally published by Kansas City PBS/Flatland, a member of the KC Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, The Kansas City Beacon, and Missouri Business Alert. Click here to read the original story. Revenue flows in faster than it gets disbursed for projects If you…

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Film to promote Walt Disney’s historic Kansas City animation studio gets $10K boost

By Tommy Felts / October 19, 2023

Efforts to restore the original Laugh-O-gram Studio building along Troost Avenue are getting a bump from a Missouri Humanities grant and a matching donation from a longtime local supporter of the arts in Kansas City. Thank You Walt Disney — a not-for-profit dedicated to the preservation and restoration of Walt Disney’s first animation studio, the…

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Feds award $500K for Goodwill, LaunchCode jobs training effort through STEM Tech Challenge

By Tommy Felts / October 19, 2023

Nearly a half-million dollars in federal funds are expected to help two local programs forge a new STEM-based job training initiative to help Kansas City-region job seekers find permanent high-wage careers in tech. U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kansas, on Wednesday announced a $499,196 award from the U.S. Department of Commerce to Goodwill MoKan (Goodwill of…

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JQ Sirls is the king of his own universe; his new book puts a distinctly Black hero at the center of it

By Tommy Felts / October 18, 2023

JQ Sirls started popping through the multiverse as a child; escaping through various worlds and alternate realities via stories like “Where the Wild Things Are,” “Peter Pan,” and “The Wizard of Oz” — as well as magical realms he created himself. “Those are my DNA,” said Sirls, a Kansas City-based author, artist and the entrepreneur behind…

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His KC theater shines spotlight on queer voices; How one playwright is giving stage time to a new wave of talent

By Tommy Felts / October 18, 2023

Kansas City’s theater scene should be a safe and comfortable space, said Kevin King, detailing his effort to specifically provide a place where queer voices can not only feel heard, but celebrated.  “Since 2019, we’ve been basically gay all the time,” said King, producing artistic director at Whim Productions, an LGBTQ+ theater company with a…

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