All Stories

Jon Kramer and Brian Weaver, Torch.AI

Torch.AI acquisition boosts its national security thumbprint, building out workforce proudly in KC

By Tommy Felts / December 27, 2021

Leveraging Torch.AI’s local talent alongside targeted acquisitions gets the Leawood artificial intelligence firm closer to its goal of securely sharing data with the world, said Brian Weaver, founder and CEO, committing to keeping the surging company in Kansas City. “As our technology is being adopted by more and more customers and those customers continue to…

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Bootleg Bourbon Balls

Not too late for the ‘naughty’ list: Roll into 2022 with a year-round Kansas City bourbon ball

By Tommy Felts / December 27, 2021

A nip of locally distilled Tom’s Town bourbon mingles with bittersweet chocolate and a bourbon pecan mash with each bite into “guilty pleasure” — one of dozens of “notoriously naughty” bourbon and rum balls made by Lisa Fitch. “A lot of people associate them with the holidays, like they do with divinity fudge,” explained Fitch, founder…

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Keith Bradley, Made in KC

The future is local: How masks helped neighbors look each other in the eyes again

By Tommy Felts / December 27, 2021

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Keith Bradley is co-owner of Made in KC, a brick-and-mortar and online retailer of locally made goods with neighborhood, marketplace and cafe locations downtown, on the Country Club Plaza, in Lee’s Summit, Lenexa, and across the metro. As we wind down our second…

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The sun sets on Don Chilitos Dec. 22

RIP to free chips and salsa: Why Don Chilitos just released the KC Tex-Mex staple’s secret family recipes

By Tommy Felts / December 23, 2021

Don Chilitos might have served its last bit of CCQ sauce — but that doesn’t mean its final customers had to settle for a handful of chiclets as a memento on their way out the door, Barry Cowden said, explaining his decision to go public with dozens of recipes from the beloved restaurant in a newly…

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Robert Feeney and B. Wayne Bradley, KaaS, Ringorang

A Silicon Valley startup relocated to Kansas in June; it’s latest move goes ‘all-in’ on Wichita

By Tommy Felts / December 22, 2021

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. One…

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Ryan Hill, founder of 8183 Productions, started as a wedding photographer 10 years ago and now does commercial photo shoots for a host of national clients; photo courtesy of CityScene KC

From wedding photographer to projects with Pepsi, Tech N9ne and The Rock: Westside production shop gets sophisticated

By Tommy Felts / December 22, 2021

Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by CityScene KC, an online news source focused on Greater Downtown Kansas City. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for the weekly CityScene KC email review. Tucked in a quiet corner of the Westside neighborhood, a nondescript building on Holly Street houses some of the…

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Shelia Johnson, Gangsta Goodies Kitchen

Shelia Johnson wants a daytime TV slot; Her ‘Gangsta Goodies’ brand already has the recipe

By Tommy Felts / December 22, 2021

Sacred is the kitchen of Shelia Johnson, an ambitious Kansas City matriarch-turned-food scene celebrity working to bring families and communities together one meal at a time.  “It has always been the heart of the home. The root of who we are culturally,” Johnson said, recalling her childhood and time spent with her mother in the…

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Designs by Lephant LLC, The Kritiq 2021

Why mental health took the runway before a single model walked The Kritiq’s largest fashion show yet

By Tommy Felts / December 22, 2021

If speaking openly about mental health isn’t already part of the culture, you have to put it in the spotlight, said Mark Launiu, detailing why his recent fashion show offered the best runway to address a silent epidemic within underserved communities.  “You can’t reach a destination if you’re not mentally ready for the journey. I’m…

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Miranda Schultz, Daniel Smith, Charon Thompson, and Jahna Riley, The Porter House KC

UMB Bank deposits $350K supporting The Porter House KC; $1.25M in year-end KC donations to benefit underserved communities

By Tommy Felts / December 21, 2021

A hefty, end-of-year donation from UMB Bank will provide The Porter House KC an opportunity to dig deeper in assisting local entrepreneurs, said Daniel Smith, expressing appreciation for the $350,000 boost. “These resources will be used to continue our current work and implement another program that will assist small businesses with direct support, creating additional…

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Maria Flynn, Techstars Kansas City

Techstars closes Kansas City accelerator as global network focuses on larger-growth markets

By Tommy Felts / December 21, 2021

Techstars is discontinuing its long-running Kansas City program, the global accelerator network confirmed Tuesday, with the 2021 cohort expected to be the last group hosted in the metro. “Techstars has made a strategic decision to focus on larger-growth markets, and therefore does not plan to add companies through a Kansas City program in the immediate…

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