Woman-led

Fit Truk shifts gears, building mass by scaling custom-built mobile gyms across US

By Tommy Felts / August 15, 2025

Fit Truk has traded its hometown workout circuit for a manufacturing floor and an international sales map. The Kansas City-born company is now producing custom-built mobile gyms for clients across the country and abroad. “We have three different models of trucks,” said Josh Guffey, co-founder of Fit Truk. “We have trucks going out all over…

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NXTUS expands enterprise-focused program beyond Kansas; four KC-area startups selected

By Tommy Felts / August 13, 2025

WICHITA, Kan. — An ongoing initiative to demystify the relationship-building process between emerging entrepreneurs and potential enterprise partners just expanded deeper into the Midwest, welcoming 20 growth-minded innovators from Wichita to St. Louis. “For entrepreneurs whose success depends on forging relationships with ‘the big guys,’ this unique program is so valuable,” said Mary Beth Jarvis, president…

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Advocates push Latino entrepreneurs to urgent action in the face of ‘innovation churn,’ civil rights challenges

By Tommy Felts / August 8, 2025

Latino entrepreneurs are a powerful force in America’s economy, leaders emphasized Thursday from the UnidosUS stage, but systemic barriers continue to keep many from achieving financial freedom, they lamented. “Our superpower is an entrepreneurial spirit,” said Ruby Azurdia-Lee, president and CEO of Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES), speaking during the UnidosUS Annual Conference’s closing…

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Kauffman targets $250K grant toward vacant storefront revitalization as World Cup looms

By Tommy Felts / August 7, 2025

Funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is expected to help Kansas City prepare for an influx of visitors cheering on competitors at the 2026 FIFA World Cup — activating vacant storefronts in key areas with retail, artist, and community-focused pop-ups, city leaders said this week. The KCMO-centered initiative — first announced in June and patterned…

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How these KC pitmasters are smoking barbecue’s gender stereotypes

By Tommy Felts / August 7, 2025

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Kansas City PBS/Flatland, a member of the Kansas City Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, The Kansas City Beacon, and Missouri Business Alert. Click here to read the original story. Veronica Scroggins of Scott’s Kitchen is the latest on a short list of…

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