Minority-Led

What’s in a name? KC filmmakers’ documentary short finds ‘Black joy,’ Sundance premiere in reclaiming a family name

By Tommy Felts / January 25, 2023

Names hold a person’s legacy and connect them to their past. Names are individualistic while also a representation of family units. Names are the first thing people own in the world, said Kansas City filmmakers Sharon Liese and Catherine Hoffman.  The duo came together to tell the complicated, yet joyous, story of the Parker family.…

SnapIT’s founder builds tech company’s mission overseas while growing talent pool in Kansas

By Tommy Felts / January 23, 2023

Employers across the globe need access to tech talent as demand for skilled IT workers surges, said Neelima Parasker, noting her Overland Park-based firm writes critical coding for the solution.  “What we provide is unique in the sense that we are producing tech talent the fastest through microcredentials,” said Parasker, the founder and CEO of…

How this reality TV star is using his platform to help tech students start life-changing careers without heavy debt

By Tommy Felts / January 23, 2023

Nehemiah Clark stands at the crossroads of reality TV and inclusive tech education. As a former cast member on MTV’s “The Real World: Austin” and a frequent competitor on the Paramount+ “The Challenge” series, Clark leverages his audience to further the mission of SnapIT Solutions, he shared. “On [‘The Challenge’], I’ve talked about what I…

Two UMKC-linked research teams earn Comeback KC Ventures funding for COVID innovations

By Tommy Felts / January 23, 2023

Two research teams tied to the University of Missouri-Kansas City have received proof-of-concept funding support through Comeback KC Ventures and will take the next step toward bringing their innovations from the university lab to market to solve problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the funding program announced. Funds from Comeback KC Ventures focus on the…

Teen coursework: Students take a shot at business with backyard paintball venture

By Tommy Felts / January 13, 2023

High school students in south Kansas City are mixing recreation with education by applying entrepreneurial concepts from the classroom to start their own paintball venture. Located on the campus of The Daniel Academy, Project:Paintball began as an idea in an entrepreneurship and marketing class during the 2021-22 school year. “We’re the Planet Fitness of paintball,”…