All Stories

Miss KC’s Parade of Hearts? You’re in luck: Popular citywide art returning in 2023, 2024

By Tommy Felts / October 26, 2022

Kansas City’s “Parade of Hearts” is set to return in 2023 — and 2024 — after the wildly popular, city-spanning art installation, regional pride campaign and fundraiser placed more than 150 unique artist-created hearts throughout the metro. The publicly displayed art pieces quickly became destination points across the city with Kansas Citians and visitors embarking…

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‘Cure-all’ for your hunger: Chefs offer tastes of what’s to come at KC’s newest food hall 

By Tommy Felts / October 26, 2022

A Kansas City-simmered food hall concept is expected to unveil its long-awaited dining experience next month in the lightwell building downtown — pairing two well-seasoned culinary minds with appetites for inventive tastes. Officially dubbed the Strang Chef Collective at lightwell, the chef-driven venture will feature a duo of restaurant concepts — Verde and Panacea —…

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Troost capital project hits $15M goal; 2023 completion expected to address ‘blight at the heart’ of trauma in KC

By Tommy Felts / October 25, 2022

Reconciliation Services recently crossed the finish line of a $14.9 million capital campaign to breathe new life into its aging homebase at one of Kansas City’s most bustling intersections, said Father Justin Mathews. “We were able to complete the $15 million raise in approximately 18 months, which is a tribute to the generosity of Kansas…

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Lifted Spirits teases expansion, recipe for its quirky cocktail of success: Math plus intuition

By Tommy Felts / October 24, 2022

After noticing more than a decade ago how distillation and cocktails enhanced his own friendship groups, Michael Stuckey set out to create that same sense of community for others. “I fell in love with the idea of spirits first; this idea that spirits were inherently about bringing people together,” said Stuckey, founder of Lifted Spirits…

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Brian Roberts, The Black Pantry

Black Pantry expands nationally through online shop; founder works to set new standard for buying Black

By Tommy Felts / October 22, 2022

Kansas City’s premier boutique for Black-owned essentials always had its sights set on building a national identity, said Brian Roberts, but he needed to prove himself and his business on the local level first.   “A lot of people were pushing me in the beginning to go the website direction, but I didn’t want to do…

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Federal funds will power Missouri investments for the next 8 years; here’s how your startup can apply

By Tommy Felts / October 22, 2022

Applications are now open for a popular state-run co-investment program that can provide up to a $2 million equity-based investment in Missouri-based companies that have identified a lead investor for the round. The revived Venture Capital Program and specifically IDEA Fund Co-Investment Programs — coordinated by the Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC) — will be largely funded…

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LaunchKC finalists: Meet 13 tech startups vying for six $50K grants in rebooted competition

By Tommy Felts / October 22, 2022

A revived LaunchKC grants competition is set to return in mid-November with more than a dozen companies vying for $300,000 in non-dilutive funding. Finalists were announced Friday. The 13 Kansas City companies selected to compete Nov. 15 were narrowed from more than 90 applicants, said Becca Castro, strategic initiatives manager at the Economic Development Corporation…

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Mushroom lover finds the perfect spot to hunt: Her own warehouse in North Kansas City

By Tommy Felts / October 20, 2022

Robin Moore loves to cook with mushrooms, but she couldn’t always find the variety — like Lion’s Mane — she wanted at Kansas City stores. So she started growing them herself; ultimately turning the surplus into her own small business. “I’ve researched and kind of taught myself,” said the founder of MyCo Planet, who initially…

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MO-built app enhances AMBER Alert system, rallying users to search for missing children

By Tommy Felts / October 20, 2022

People care about saving missing and exploited children, said Josh Schisler — but the current alert system is outdated, leaving members of the public without a clear understanding of how they should respond to alerts.  “I think there is no shortage of people who would be happy to take a few minutes from their day…

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RNAi-tech startup takes lead from psychotropics, medical cannabis veteran with new CEO pick 

By Tommy Felts / October 20, 2022

ST. LOUIS — Steve Meyer sees opportunity in RNAissance Ag — an offshoot Kansas City-grown TechAccel — especially its portfolio of safe biopesticides and novel RNAi manufacturing technology. “I believe the full potential of RNAi-based solutions in agriculture is yet to be seen,” said Meyer, the company’s new CEO. “This innovative technology not only has…

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