All Stories

Spicy chicken sandwich from Brookside Poultry Co.

This Brookside hotspot touts best chicken sandwich in KC, putting chef’s eye on fast casual food

By Tommy Felts / November 19, 2021

The chicken sandwich wars of the 21st century aren’t limited to fast food restaurant chains, Chef Charles d’Ablaing declared, touting his local lineup of comfort food classics and laying claim to serving the best spicy chicken sandwich in all of Kansas City.  “I did it as a special, just kind of, ‘Haha, funny,’” said d’Ablaing,…

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KC software group ventures into sports tech with new college athlete endorsement platform

By Tommy Felts / November 19, 2021

With a new law in effect this summer allowing student athletes to sign sponsorship deals and profit off of their name, image and likeness, Artisan Technology Group jumped at the opening to help young people navigate such new opportunities, the company said. Artisan teamed with Opendorse, a Lincoln, Nebraska-based sports tech firm, to help them…

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DJ Stewart, Journey Pro

‘Prognosis is pointless’: Journey Pro KC wrestling owner forces cancer statistics to tap out

By Tommy Felts / November 18, 2021

 Story and photos by Channa Steinmetz, Startland News | Video by Catherine Hoffman, Flatland Two years after his diagnosis, DJ Stewart still has never googled “glioblastoma.” “I have Grade 4 glioblastoma — meaning the highest, most aggressive grade. If you go down that rabbit hole on the internet, it’s a terrible thing to do.…

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Marcelle Clements, Pantry Goods

Pantry Goods brings wall-to-wall organic, European-style shopping to Midtown micro market

By Tommy Felts / November 18, 2021

The expansion of Pantry Goods from an online service into a Midtown micro market has brought with it a bushel of changes — all organic — for Marcelle Clements as she continues her mission to grow support for small businesses and sustainable living. “It was a great move,” said Clements, founder of Pantry Goods, recalling her…

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Lee Zuvanich, Appsta, Adva Digital Solutions

He wanted to post his pronouns on LinkedIn sooner, but first this startup founder had to come out to himself

By Tommy Felts / November 18, 2021

The word was simple — sprinkled into a potentially impactful email introduction last week with little fanfare — but for Lee Zuvanich, reading it felt like Christmas morning. His. “When I came out on LinkedIn this summer — with my pronouns and everything — it wasn’t really a choice,” said Zuvanich, a trans man who now…

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Father Justin Mathews, Thelma's Kitchen, Reconciliation Services

LaunchKC’s latest: a Social Venture Studio to tackle social, racial, environmental issues

By Tommy Felts / November 16, 2021

A new Kansas City-based social venture studio is expected to help social entrepreneurs avoid grant starvation — and depending too heavily on financial gifts — in lieu of models that focus on innovative steps toward sustainability, said Father Justin Mathews. “I got very excited about social venturing — this idea of being able to harness…

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Silver Bells holiday pop-up bar at Canary; photos by Ashley Elwell

It’s a Wonderful Life: Holiday pop-ups offer KC business owners a second chance, Canary owner says

By Tommy Felts / November 16, 2021

Sophistication is on the menu as Canary Bar and Bistro unveils its first holiday pop-up, Silver Bell Supper Club, a nostalgic cocktail and culinary experience set to pour hope for a pandemic-fatigued Kansas City and inspired by a classic Christmas film. “We’re going for a chic Christmas vibe. White warm lights, hanging 3D snowflakes, Christmas…

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Healium’s mental fitness wearables earn innovation award from world’s largest tech show

By Tommy Felts / November 15, 2021

A Columbia-based startup’s patented technology that brings wearable biometric data to life via virtual and augmented reality apps has earned a major industry honor, announcing Healium’s selection for a 2022 Innovation Award from the Consumer Technology Association. The awards program is an annual competition honoring outstanding design and engineering in 27 consumer technology product categories.…

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A rendering of how a gondola line could look crossing the West Bottoms at State Line Road and West Ninth Street. (Rendering from SOM/HR&A Advisors report)

Planner pitches two-mile gondola over West Bottoms, linking KCK, KCMO downtowns

By Tommy Felts / November 15, 2021

Editor’s note: The following story 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. The idea of using gondolas for mass transit in Kansas City is back, but this time it’s being floated by…

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Isaac Collins, Yogurtini; Photo by Scott Suchman

Retaking the ‘entrepreneur’ label: ‘You need to have a good product, but ultimately it needs to be about more’

By Tommy Felts / November 15, 2021

In “The New Builders,” written by Times of Entrepreneurship founder Elizabeth MacBride and venture capitalist Seth Levine, the authors look at the landscape of entrepreneurship across America. In this excerpt — from Chapter 3: The Definition Of Success — the authors focus on Isaac Collins, a Kansas City entrepreneur who also faces and fights added obstacles…

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