News

Lauren and Jon Rolph, HomeGrown

Cultivating kindness over brunch: Why a Wichita couple’s homegrown chain is expanding to KC this summer

By Tommy Felts / March 17, 2021

Attracted to the spirit and community of Kansas City’s Brookside neighborhood, Jon Rolph immediately knew it was the perfect place to expand his Wichita-based daytime eatery, he shared.  “We wanted a place that feels like home to us,” said Rolph, who owns and founded HomeGrown with his wife, Lauren. “When we came across Brookside, it…

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Bippity, boppity boon for Disney pin collectors: Family uses tech expertise to build trinket trading platform

By Tommy Felts / March 16, 2021

What might look like nothing more than tiny pieces of artwork pinned on a lanyard or to a jacket has become an unexpected livelihood for Jenn Nickols and her Kansas City-raised family of Disney fanatics.  “We went to Disneyland and we discovered pin trading in the parks,” Nickols said of the unique hobby. Over the…

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Callie England, WallyGro

Rooted in growth: WallyGro launches à la carte plants after its ‘year of new products’

By Tommy Felts / March 16, 2021

Fulfilling a long-awaited request from customers, WallyGro — a Kansas City company known for its innovative hanging planters — announced Friday it launched its first line of à la carte plants, said Callie England. “This past year the demand was: Could you supply us with more? Customers already trusted [WallyGro] because of our planters, so…

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Dimarco and Scott atop Stowe Mountain in Stowe, Vermont, Joy of the Journey

Can a KC tech duo travel the world without leaving a trace? Follow their journey on YouTube

By Tommy Felts / March 16, 2021

What started as a duo’s journey for purposeful adventure quickly turned into a mission to educate and advocate for sustainable travel, Dimarco Barea and Scott Hanson shared. “In 2020, Scott [Hanson] and I were both in this really interesting space where we were looking at how we wanted to contribute and dedicate our lives to…

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Lesa Mitchell, Techstars Kansas City

Expanded Techstars role means more eyes on KC, Lesa Mitchell says; accelerator returns in June

By Tommy Felts / March 16, 2021

Lesa Mitchell’s promotion within Techstars — a Boulder, Colorado-based accelerator network with global reach — is a value-add for Kansas City, she said Monday. The outgoing managing director of Techstars’ local program also teased the popular accelerator’s summer return. “My new role simply means we have more Techstars staff in KC,” said Mitchell, Techstars’ newly announced…

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