Woman-led

Arvelisha Woods and India Monique, Mattie’s Foods

A Bible parable helped connect vegan foods to Made in KC cafes; here’s how two sisters planted the seed

By Tommy Felts / August 28, 2021

Now served at Made in KC cafes across the metro — from the brand’s popular marketplaces to the new Outta the Blue oasis and downtown trolley cafe — vegan goods from Mattie’s Foods arrive on plates thanks to growing hunger for more healthy options, as well as the wholesome ingredients of a community-built business. Between…

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Sherri Corwin, Mixed Mutt Creamery

Midtown ice cream shop for pups churns out treats, therapeutic ‘doggo date’ spot for pets, people

By Tommy Felts / August 27, 2021

Bad days especially call for ice cream, Sherri Corwin said, recalling one of her favorite self-care rituals and the way it became her freshly creamed, Midtown-scooped startup — a venture that’s left tails across the metro wagging for waffle cones.  “People really do love their pets,” said Corwin, who in February opened Mixed Mutt Creamery —…

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Nina Whitmore, Kanvess Clothing

Why Nina Whitmore left Corporate America to fight fast fashion (The answer is pretty black and white)

By Tommy Felts / August 26, 2021

When Nina Whitmore was in elementary school, she always wore culottes — flowy cropped pants that are now back in style. They were easiest for her mother to sew, even though Whitmore would have preferred to wear jeans like the other kids, she said. Her interest in fashion began as a tween, when she paged…

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Leo Morton, DeBruce Companies

Firebrand Ventures closes $40M seed fund for ‘authentic’ founders in emerging communities; adds Leo Morton as advisor

By Tommy Felts / August 26, 2021

A year after two prominent venture capital firms announced their merger, the consolidated Firebrand Ventures II is officially closed — reaching its $40 million target and having already invested in startups from Detroit, Seattle and Toronto. “Several years ago we raised our first funds — Boulder-based Blue Note Ventures and Kansas City-based Firebrand Ventures I —…

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KC council members set to rappel from Canary bar atop 10-story building for Fringe festival fundraiser 

By Tommy Felts / August 24, 2021

Nothing screams KC Fringe Festival quite like rappelling down a 10-story building in the heart of Midtown, said organizers of a weekend fundraiser to help bring professional arts advocates — laid off because of the pandemic — back to the payroll. “To me, this fundraiser really speaks to what the Fringe does — which is…

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