Minority-Led

Topeka startup hub launches diverse entrepreneur community (with fintech help on loan from KC’s Cyphr)

By Tommy Felts / March 4, 2025

TOPEKA — An initiative aimed at boosting early to mid-stage entrepreneur development in the heart of Kansas launched Friday, said Michael Odupitan, noting the effort by Topeka-based Omni Circle to redefine the startup journey — and who’s allowed to join it — comes with a Kansas City assist. “Omni’s goal is to unite and strengthen…

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How an east side community garden gives Ruby Jean’s namesake her storybook ending as juice brand goes national with Whole Foods

By Tommy Felts / March 3, 2025

While market expansion for Ruby Jean’s harvests the big headlines, Chris Goode’s grassroots health initiatives are staying firmly planted in Kansas City’s east side, the juice brand’s founder said — announcing plans to launch a one-acre community garden this spring on Wabash Avenue. Budding out just blocks from where Goode grew up, the Ruby Jean’s…

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Why keep Betty Rae’s from the world? KC ice cream shop franchising brand across region

By Tommy Felts / February 27, 2025

Matt Shatto wants to “create smiles across the country” — not just in the metro. His plan: scoop a pint of franchising into the handcrafted mix for Betty Rae’s Ice Cream, a shop that developed into multiple must-visit Kansas City destinations over nearly a decade. Betty Rae’s is now targeting seven cities in the region…

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ProX calls on KC employers to help plant seeds; 1,700 student interns await program’s summer sunlight

By Tommy Felts / February 27, 2025

For the fourth consecutive summer, ProX — one of the largest paid internship programs in the country — is giving Kansas City-area employers the opportunity to invest in the region’s future talent, Solissa Franco-McKay shared. The collaborative ProX effort pairs Kansas City students — from both sides of the state line — with area employers…

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Superstars pack KC Chamber celebration with gratitude; thankful for a space to belong when many feel lost

By Tommy Felts / February 26, 2025

Julie Cortes beamed as she took in the energy of Kansas City’s small business community Tuesday evening — surrounded by hundreds of her fellow Small Business Superstars and a crowd eager to build an emerging spirit of entrepreneurship. “It feels so amazing to be here,” Cortes, founder of Freelance Rockstar, said from inside the packed…

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