Profiles

Tohi ventures down a Midwest ‘rabbit hole’ to discover a rare berry good enough to drink

By Tommy Felts / February 29, 2020

Tohi Ventures is on a quest to save the planet — one rare-berry infused beverage at a time.  “I was literally doing Google research on unique ingredients, specialty crops … these one-ingredient wonders,” explained Shari Coulter Ford, CEO and co-founder of Tohi Ventures — maker of Tohi, an antioxidant-rich beverage available in four, all-natural flavors. …

Read More >
Danny Ritz and Kevin Ritz, State Your Line

State Your Line: Ritz Brothers’ podcast straddles KC, border between fun and dumb

By Tommy Felts / February 26, 2020

Holed up at home, recovering from a broken ankle, Kevin Ritz started to toy with the idea of launching a KC-centric podcast — despite living in a city rich with audio storytellers, he noted.  “I did a lot of research as far as seeing if there was a podcast [about Kansas City] out there already…

Read More >
Happy Food Co., Get Happy Catering

High demand, low profits: Happy Food Co pulls meal kits from stores, pivots to catering

By Tommy Felts / February 19, 2020

Love wasn’t enough to sustain the original model of Happy Food Co., but the meal kit company’s ability to pivot opens new doors, said Kiersten Firquain. “For a startup in Kansas City … it is difficult,” Firquain, head chef and co-founder of Happy Food Co., said of geographical challenges that contributed to its restructuring, a…

Read More >
Ryan Martin, KC Jacks

Outcrafting Carhartt: KC denim guru opened the door to a hidden maker speakeasy, affordable US-made workwear 

By Tommy Felts / February 19, 2020

The high-stakes world of makers — especially those hoping to develop a national brand built on quality craftsmanship — can require connections beyond what someone finds in a simple Google search, said Ryan Martin. “You kind of have to know somebody,” the Kansas City denim guru behind the KC Jacks workwear line and the couture…

Read More >
Crowd chiefs parade eb systems

How many fans packed parade route for Chiefs? Crowd counting a touchdown for KC’s EB Systems

By Tommy Felts / February 15, 2020

While a sea of red greeted Chiefs players Feb. 5 outside Union Station, many fans skipped the official victory rally honoring the world champion football team — opting instead to fight for their right to party nearby, according to crowd data from an emerging Kansas City startup. “Harsh weather and a drunk driving incident on…

Read More >