Woman-led

Rhinestone’d to RuPaul reality: Fan-turned-KC fashion icon shines with ‘Drag Race’ design

By Tommy Felts / May 18, 2023

RuPaul may not know Whitney Manney’s name, but the “Drag Race” host is now acquainted with the Kansas City fashion designer’s work, she said. The owner of the KC-based WHITNEYMANNEY label had the “wild experience” of designing and constructing the trans-pride, “Troop Beverly Hills”-inspired entrance look for Monica Beverly Hillz for Season 8 of “RuPaul’s…

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These two Small Biz of the Year finalists are among the half-dozen KC firms honored as Inc.’s ‘Best Workplaces’

By Tommy Felts / May 16, 2023

A workplace in the era of talent shortages and a hyper-competitive jobs market is only as good as its ability to meet employees’ nuanced needs, said Melea McRae, a top founder whose marketing company was among six Kansas City firms selected for Inc. magazine’s Best Workplaces list. “Through our un-agency business model, we’ve built a…

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How Urban TEC used eye-opening VR tech to bring teen mental health into the real world

By Tommy Felts / May 13, 2023

Students at two Kansas City, Kansas, high schools are tackling teen mental health issues with the help of virtual reality, shared youth and tech advocate Ina P. Montgomery. From February through April, 28 students from Wyandotte and JC Harmon high schools learned Unity programming software, identified and researched a health concern for youth ages 13…

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‘Mr. K’ finalists tease what it’s like to work for the next Small Business of the Year

By Tommy Felts / May 12, 2023

Editor’s note: The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is a non-financial partner of Startland News, which serves as the media partner for the Small Business Superstars program. Finalists for the KC Chamber’s Small Business of the Year award highlighted their companies’ commitments to strong workplace culture, DEI initiatives, and community relations during a panel…

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Rescue florists give new life to leftover flowers; nonprofit just needs 6-inch stems and someone to surprise

By Tommy Felts / May 11, 2023

Impact is growing again for an initiative that sends recycled floral arrangements — flowers otherwise headed for the trash after events — to homebound Kansas City seniors. Volunteer-run Unexpected Blooms recently celebrated its sixth birthday, after being forced to take a pause when the pandemic stalled many large gatherings from which they sourced flowers, shared…

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