Woman-led

Jonaie Johnson, Interplay, competing in the Season 1 of "The Blox"

One of KC’s top emerging founders joins cast of new reality TV show for startups; see who else is competing

By Tommy Felts / February 10, 2022

Twenty startups picked to live in a house — competing in a series of entrepreneurship games for a reality TV show — could’ve been a nightmare, said Jonaie Johnson. But the bootstrapped creator of a KC-built smart dog crate was up for the challenge, she said. “Spending a week in a mansion with a bunch…

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"All Boys Aren't Blue," published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); overset: Andrews McMeel Universal Kansas City headquarters

As book banning spreads across US, one KC media company calls out specific threat to diverse creators

By Tommy Felts / February 10, 2022

The Kansas City publishing powerhouse behind many of the nation’s most-beloved newspaper comics — from Calvin & Hobbes and The Far Side to Garfield and Peanuts — this week raised its voice amid a growing push to condemn book bans flaring up across the country. “Books are safe harbors, where the freedom of expression and…

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Christina Williams and Tamela Ross, The Blakk Co.

New initiative has a message for KC: When Black men say they need a ’90s self-love reboot — listen

By Tommy Felts / February 10, 2022

Love yourself enough to know you matter  It’s virtually impossible to love others when there’s not already a sense of self love, said Kansas City small business owner Christina Williams, announcing the launch of an initiative to guide its community of Black men to understanding and believing in their own self-worth. “I know a lot…

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Kharissa Forte, Holistic Hustle, Grace & Grind

Faking it ’til you make it might be why you have imposter syndrome (Holistic Hustle)

By Tommy Felts / February 8, 2022

Kharissa Forte is a writer, certified health coach, and columnist for Startland News. For more of her self-care tips on how to keep your cup full, visit graceandgrind.co. I’m not one to get caught up in the hoop-lah of celebrity crushes, but if there’s anyone who I #WCW it’s my Pisces twin Rihanna. (I mean,…

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Tyler Shane's artisanal chocolate collaboration for Café Corazón

First bite of Tyler Shane: This spicy new pairing with Westport favorite Café Corazón has cacao lovers going nuts

By Tommy Felts / February 5, 2022

‘I want people to sit down and really have a moment with their chocolate’ When Tyler Shane bites into a piece of chocolate, all of her senses come alive to fully indulge in the experience. “Food, for me, is almost like a religious experience,” she said. After spending seven years at Christopher Elbow Chocolates, the…

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