Woman-led

Kirsten and Raul Reyes, Beyond Borders Collective

They met in Ecuador, relocated to KC; now one couple is wrapping the culture gap with native blankets 

Editor’s note: The following story — a spotlight on a member of the Plexpod community — is sponsored by Plexpod, a progressive coworking platform offering next generation workspace for entrepreneurs, startups, and growth-stage companies of all sizes. A Kansas City company’s mission to connect U.S. consumers to native blankets ethically produced by artisans in Ecuador is…

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids visiting Upper Crust Pie Bakery in downtown Overland Park

Survival took more than just PPP — but federal relief proved pivotal, small biz owners tell Davids

Sharice Davids strolled through downtown Overland Park Friday afternoon — with an ice cream cone in hand — stopping to meet with local small business owners to hear their pandemic survival stories and how federal relief programs played a role.  “Today has been really fun; to see just how innovative … the problem-solving modes that…

The Prospect KC rendering

$250K in matching funds brings Prospect Urban Eatery free culinary training closer to boil

Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial supporter of Startland News, though this story was produced independently by Startland News’ nonprofit newsroom. A quarter-million-dollar grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is expected to push The Prospect KC into operational scale in the months ahead, said Chef Shanita McAfee-Bryant.  News of the…

Madden and Tovah Tanner, Royale Cohesive Network

How a KC mom and her 12-year-old co-founder are rewriting the book on entrepreneurship

Guiding young people through the ins and outs of entrepreneurship is a family affair for Tovah Tanner, a metro woman on a mission to create a Kansas City that thinks critically, holds values, and possesses life skills that build lasting wealth.  “My son, Madden Tanner, is our co-founder. He’s 12 years old,” Tanner said, recalling…

Angela Presnell, lilhoopgirl

She earned 21K followers with a plastic circle; now Angela Presnell hoops to transfer social media popularity to a paid platform

An Instagram page launched in 2016 to document then-college freshman Angela Presnell’s progression in hooping today reaches more than 21,000 followers — and sends the active entrepreneur across the globe to teach her artform in person. “I needed some sort of creative outlet that could be totally mine,” said Presnell, the 24-year-old Kansas Citian behind…