Minority-Led

Israel England, KC Cajun

Fried gator to chicken alfredo: Flavors driving KC Cajun to entrepreneur’s next phase

By Tommy Felts / September 5, 2018

Kansas City businesses should utilize every resource at their disposal to build stronger brands, said Israel England, owner and operator of KC Cajun. “I’m branching out,” England said with confidence as he detailed his coming venture — adapting his KC Cajun catering service into a food truck. “There is so much more room to improve,…

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Report: Black women’s impact overlooked in KC startup community and beyond

By Tommy Felts / August 30, 2018

Raise a hand if you know that black women have created more than 1 million jobs, Dell Gines challenged. A statistics-based question –– frequently answered with an expected, yet glacial silence ––  acknowledges an unprecedented phenomenon in both the small business community and within the confines of the often-exclusive startup ecosystem, said Gines, Federal Reserve…

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Sheyvette Dinkens, Suite 1886, Wyandotte High School, classroom coworking

KCK business teacher re-imagines school space as student-led classroom coworking

By Tommy Felts / August 24, 2018

Nobody’s going to tell you what to do here, Sheyvette Dinkens said passionately. The Wyandotte High School business teacher recently began transforming her space at school into classroom coworking. “I want students to be able to guide their own education,” she said. “I want to be able to facilitate their learning, and I want them…

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Top VC-Backed

2018 Top VC-Backed Companies in Kansas City List

By Tommy Felts / August 22, 2018

The Top Venture Capital-Backed Companies in Kansas City List recognizes the growing cohort of growth-stage, venture-backed companies in the Kansas City metro — further illustrating the impact of the countless efforts aimed at boosting entrepreneurship in the region and creating a productive dialogue. The list is expected to be updated and published annually. The 2018…

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