News

Kinley Strickland and Calvin Vick, KC Daiquiri Shop: Bistreaux

KC Daiquiri Shop: Bistreaux bringing a second line of family-focused Cajun flair to Overland Park

By Tommy Felts / April 2, 2021

When a second KC Daiquiri Shop goes marching into the Overland Park faubourg (suburb) later this month, family and flavor will round out the goals of its expansion — a passion project of its owners who are committed to meeting a rising local demand for authentic Cajun cuisine, they said.  “When we first started with…

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Chelsey M., KC Black Owned; photo courtesy of Anna Petrow, Made in KC

The secret to KC Black Owned’s success so far? Businesses worth finding, founder says

By Tommy Felts / April 1, 2021

A business’s digital footprint is the new word of mouth, the founder of KC Black Owned said, emphasizing that getting noticed is just half the fight for many Black-owned businesses. “It is so hard to find Black-owned businesses in certain professions and industries. But there’s a demand for it,” said Chelsey M., the mind behind…

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Jake Lisby and Paul Worcester, Simplifyy

KC proptech startup Simplifyy gets $5M Series A boost toward expansion plans; next up: DFW

By Tommy Felts / March 31, 2021

A Kansas City startup vying to replace traditional property management is rapidly expanding its services into new markets thanks to a multi-million dollar Series A round, CEO Jake Lisby announced Wednesday. Led by UnitLeader, a San Diego-based venture capital group, the $5 million round comes after Simplifyy co-founders Lisby and Paul Worcester spent nearly three…

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Carlanda McKinney, Bodify; Jonaie Johnson, Interplay; Digital Sandbox KC recipients

Digital Sandbox touts two Black women-led companies with latest round of funding

By Tommy Felts / March 31, 2021

The selection of Bodify and Interplay for the latest round of Digital Sandbox KC funding doubles down on the proof-of-concept program’s commitment to bring diverse innovative ideas in the Kansas City region to life, said Jill Meyer. “We’re always thrilled to welcome entrepreneurs with smart, scalable ideas to the Sandbox,” said Meyer, senior director of…

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Olive Cooke, Kim Conyers and Sylvia Metta, Cauldron Collective

Trio of trans ‘cooking witches’ brew vegan flavor in authenticity of collective ingredients, not mere imitation

By Tommy Felts / March 30, 2021

Something wickedly delicious has made its way to Kansas City, said Olive Cooke, Kim Conyers, and Sylvia Metta. Combining their passions for cooking and community, the trio founded a pop-up business centered on plant-based comfort food.  “A couple days before our first pop-up, it became so surreal that we were actually doing this; we even…

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