Profiles

Nothing speaks like flavor: How Johnson County’s favorite empanada stand plans to reach more ‘happy tummies’ (and where to find them)

By Tommy Felts / January 8, 2022

 When Sonia Sandoval moved to America from Venezuela, language was a barrier, she recalled. Rather than keep to herself, Sandoval found a more meaningful form of communication: food. “I started [cooking] when I was 11 years old,” said Sandoval, who co-founded the pop-up Venezuelan food concept, Happy Tummy, with her husband, Juan Paredes. “I…

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How this Waldo burger stand crafts the tastiest patties in the cosmos (and where its ground round galaxy is expanding next)

By Tommy Felts / January 6, 2022

Keep it simple and smashed, said Jacob Kruger. “I have always been a big fan of restaurants and businesses that have a very simplistic approach,” said Kruger, who serves as the head chef (or “Burger Boy”) at Cosmo Burger, located within Dodson’s Bar and Commons in Waldo — and coming soon to Lenexa Public Market.…

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New in KC: How Travis Kelce lured Pennsylvania startup inventXYZ (and its team) to Kansas City

By Tommy Felts / January 5, 2022

Editor’s note: New in KC is an ongoing profile series that highlights newly relocated members of the Kansas City startup community, their reasons for a change of scenery, and what they’ve found so far in KC. This series is sponsored by C2FO, a Leawood-based, global financial services company. Click here to read more New in KC profiles. [divide] Nikil Ragav’s journey…

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The problem with asking customers what they want? They lie (but not to this KC data duo)

By Tommy Felts / January 4, 2022

For years, Diana Kander has researched how to interview customers — specifically how to get the truth from them, she said. It’s been key to helping her work with companies to innovate and grow. But in early 2021 the consultant and author of “All In Startup” and “The Curiosity Muscle” was perplexed by a problem…

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Trade to troubadour: Ben Chaverin finds his hook, but just sampling KC’s music scene might not be enough

By Tommy Felts / December 29, 2021

Entering the job market amid a global pandemic isn’t ideal, Ben Chaverin admits, but its challenges can become opportunities for those creative (and willing) enough to turn adversity into a new playlist.  “I’ve learned so much in the last couple of years — and grown so much as a human being,” Chaverin said, recalling his December…

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