Minority-Led

Yoli Tortilleria grinds success into perfect warm tortilla, opening retail experience in Westside

By Tommy Felts / July 28, 2020

A new retail operation in Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood is a sign of massive growth, hot on the griddle for Yoli Tortilleria.  “There’s nothing, for me, better than once you put that warm tortilla in your hands and just experience it,” said Marissa Gencarelli, who co-owns and operates Yoli with her husband, Mark. “There’s a…

Right to Start: Economic justice, entrepreneurship aren’t privileges for a select few, Victor Hwang says

By Tommy Felts / July 27, 2020

Everyone deserves an equal start, said Victor Hwang, launching an initiative to level the playing field for early stage entrepreneurs. “We’re a campaign to rebuild the American economy by fighting for entrepreneurial opportunity for all of us — regardless of background, race, place, genders, disabilities, or circumstances. We call them ‘starters,’” said Hwang, founder and…

Smart doorway could detect high temp, neutralize COVID on clothing, KC tech pioneer says

By Tommy Felts / July 23, 2020

Blockchain might be the future, but eliminating exposure to COVID-19 is the now, said serial entrepreneur Shekhar Gupta as he takes an intelligent disinfecting doorway to market. “When you go to the airport you have to go through the X-Ray machines, right? So we developed a similar structure, but to detect COVID-19 and neutralize it…

Brown Sugar Collective promises sisterhood of support, collaboration for women of color

By Tommy Felts / July 23, 2020

When it comes to entrepreneurial support in Kansas City, women of color often are left out of conversations that could help them grow their businesses, said Ashley Rudd. “They don’t necessarily feel like their voice is heard,” Rudd, founder of the personal shopping startup She’s Thrifted, said of her experience within the metro’s entrepreneurial community and…

Start with heart: Sisters’ yard signs offer a ‘stepping stone’ to support Black lives

By Tommy Felts / July 20, 2020

Amari and Sa’mya Lewis’ young entrepreneurial venture — a yard sign featuring a simple black heart — first spread in a predominantly white Johnson County neighborhood, the teenage sisters said. Amid ongoing national discourse over the “Black Lives Matter” movement, in which the meaning of those three words often is debated, the sign makers have…