Minority-Led

Will climate change rob me of being a parent? Anxious Millennials, Gen Z question adding more children to Earth

By Tommy Felts / May 17, 2022

Editor’s note: This story is part of a series on climate change in the Kansas City region produced by the KC Media Collective to support and enhance local journalism so every person in Kansas City can lead a richer life. Members of the KC Media Collective are KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, Missouri Business…

Comeback KC Ventures adds 9 more fellows to accelerate rapid-response health innovations

By Tommy Felts / May 12, 2022

A global pandemic exposed both new challenges and the potential for disruptive solutions — putting Kansas City entrepreneurs at the forefront of rapid-fire change in the wake of an ongoing health crisis, said organizers of Comeback KC Ventures. Nine additional Kansas City tech startups are joining the fellowship program, its leaders said Wednesday, expanding upon…

Built to last, bought with intention: How JE Dunn set supplier diversity as a cornerstone

By Tommy Felts / May 10, 2022

Editor’s note: The following story was sponsored by KC Rising, a regional initiative to help Kansas City grow faster and more intentionally, as part of a campaign to promote its CEO-to-CEO Challenge on supplier diversity.  Approaching supplier diversity for the long haul means defining the work — without limiting it, said Jason Banks, describing how Kansas City-based construction icon JE…

Rally Gin pours into KC as childhood friends mix spirit of resilience with Black-owned, woman-owned brand

By Tommy Felts / May 10, 2022

After launching in the Los Angeles market, Rally Gin is coming home — distilling a pandemic dream into Kansas City reality.  “We have so much pride in being Kansas City natives and are thrilled to share Rally Gin with the town,” said Alysha Daicy, co-founder.  A launch event honoring Rally’s expansion into the Midwest is planned…

Gator, shrimp po’boys made to order, but Chef Esra has more than sandwiches plated for KC’s East Side

By Tommy Felts / May 6, 2022

Opening a restaurant is just one phase of Esra England’s vision for Kansas City’s East Side. “I’m looking at a restaurant as an anchor point. Once you have a restaurant in the area, the community will be able to do different things like host meetings or classes — and hopefully, other businesses will start to…