Profiles

Rod Malchow, R&P Camel Co.

Far from fenced-in city life: Rural Missouri camel rancher takes a trail less ridden

After 35-plus years ranching camels at the foot of the Ozarks, Rod Malchow expressed no regrets about spending more than half his life with exotic animals on a remote Missouri farm — often seeing only his wife, sister and neighbors unless traveling to events offering camel rides. “If I fell over dead tomorrow, I’d have…

Eric Flanagan, King G

How King G plans to rule a rebuilt Crossroads corner with a muffaletta and glass raised to perseverance

Rum, rye, and a retail renaissance are headed for the business district that sits just east of the Crossroads Arts District, teased Eric Flanagan. “I’m passionate about sandwiches; I’m passionate about beer; I’m passionate about good service, good music. All the stuff I love, I’m trying to bring that into this place,” said the Kansas…

Megan Williams, Smiles and Kuts Foundation

Social entrepreneur cuts into kids’ shaken self-esteem: I can’t save them all, but I can put smiles on a few faces

When Megan Williams’ daughter was diagnosed with hearing loss, the challenge put her confidence to the test.  “Sometimes kids are cruel,” Williams, a local hair stylist and salon owner, said of concerns her family faced as they sent the 5-year-old to school with hearing aids neatly tucked around her ears. Knowing full well the taunting…

KC’s long-running online indie music magazine just debuted in print; why its founder saved advertising for the black-and-white page

Flashy digital ads and gimmicky marketing schemes aren’t telling the stories (or singing the praises) of artists who run counter to Kansas City’s mainstream, said Aaron Rhodes, founder of a niche music magazine newly hitting the streets this spring. Readers shouldn’t be fooled, Rhodes said. His underground approach to ad sales for Shuttlecock Music Magazine…

Leah Hermida, The Windmill KC

Leah Hermida brought coffee home to KCK; her Windmill KC cafe already needs more space

In the shadow of the Kansas City skyline, new entrepreneurial energy is brewing in Wyandotte County, the childhood home of Leah Hermida.  “I knew the community really well,” Hermida said from her pandemic-opened, Turner-based coffee shop, The Windmill KC, noting she grew up in the city before eventually relocating to Overland Park. “I worked locally…