Storytailor
A Kansas City couple’s upcycled fashion brand is making waves, as thousands of social media followers — and some high-profile names — have taken note of the company’s repurposed “one-of-one” clothing pieces. The passion project of co-founders Jared Armstrong and Caylin Willis, Yvonne and Mitchel takes clothing materials from thrift stores and reimagines them into…
Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial supporter of Startland News. Work within Kansas City to inspire education and entrepreneurship has a ripple effect across the region, said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace; and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is doubling down on its commitment to the Kansas City community under her new leadership. …
Creating economic equity in Kansas City goes hand in hand with building a sustainable city, said Mayor Quinton Lucas. “We will not be the city that we need to be — we won’t have the workforce, the entrepreneurs that we need — if we’re not actually investing in equitable tools in any number of ways,”…
Sandlot Goods — Kansas City’s only local hat manufacturer — is hoping to score big with its first, dedicated, standalone retail space. The new location at Park Place in Leawood — 11530 Ash Street — is slated for a soft opening Aug. 15 and a grand opening Sept. 16, shared Garret Prather, Sandlot vice president…
David Dastmalchian’s screenplays for movies set in Kansas City now have a realistic chance to be filmed in and around his hometown, said the acclaimed actor, writer, and producer who grew up in Overland Park. Recently-signed legislation paves the way for increased film production in Missouri by reauthorizing — and strengthening — tax credit incentives…
After her own hospitalization with COVID-19, Shapree’ Marshall set out to make sure local hospitals have adequate staffing to care for the community, she shared. In February 2022, Marshall — now a 2023 Pipeline Pathfinder cohort member — founded A Traveled Path Homes, which she describes as Airbnb for the medical industry. She plans to…
A Kansas City nonprofit is training local artists on the intersection of art and public policy, hoping to create a generation of creatives ready to advocate for their communities. Heartland Arts KC aims to position Kansas City as a hub of local arts activism, said Logan Stacer, executive artistic director. “I want Kansas City to…
Swell Spark is once again expanding its locations, but this time Matt Baysinger and his team are scaling into smaller markets in the founder’s home state of Kansas. Swell Spark — a Kansas City-based entertainment company that creates shared experiences through escape rooms, axe throwing and indoor mini golf — is set to open a…

