Woman-led

Whitney Manney; Todd Race Photography

Designer Whitney Manney using JOANN grant to reshape the fabric of KC’s fashion scene

By Tommy Felts / November 11, 2020

Kansas City is legit — and it’s full of talented creatives who national eyes should be watching, said Whitney Manney.  “I think COVID has shown us you can show up and show out from anywhere in this world,” added Manney, a local fashion designer, maker, and founder of the WHITNEYMANNEY (WM) fashion label, in announcement…

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Jannae Gammage, The Market Base

Former Army intelligence analyst deploys expertise, entrepreneurship to the Market Base

By Tommy Felts / November 5, 2020

Editor’s note: The following is part of a three-part series spotlighting U.S. military veterans who also are Kansas City entrepreneurs. [divide] Hustle runs deep for Jannae Gammage, she said, looking back on the one thing that’s been uniquely hers since childhood: entrepreneurship.  “My first business was at 14,” said Gammage, founder and CEO of The…

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Richard Garcia, Jamie Zoeller and Liz Zoeller, Big Mood Natural Wines

Farm-to-wineglass: Big Mood Natural Wines talks sustainable drinking — ‘Why stop at food?’

By Tommy Felts / November 2, 2020

It’s never the wrong time to drink wine, said Richard Garcia.  “We have a wine for every time of the day,” said Garcia, who owns and operates Big Mood Natural Wines with his friends, Jamie and Liz Zoeller. “Someone came in the other day asking about breakfast wines, and we absolutely have several on the…

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SewKC at Collective Ex

How an elastic team turned an early tip about face masks into SewKC’s saving grace

By Tommy Felts / October 30, 2020

Editor’s note: The following is the third in a series of stories about Kansas City fashion companies putting their own creative spin on the often-utilitarian face mask. [divide] As demand for face masks surged this spring, a massive and sustained influx of traffic and orders at SewKC crashed the Crossroads creatives’ online retail engine — forcing…

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Meghan Burns, Connect Healthcare Consulting

Doctor-turned-marketer aims to help healthtech founders communicate the science behind their startups

By Tommy Felts / October 29, 2020

Great founders and scientists aren’t always great marketers and vice versa, Dr. Meghan Burns said, detailing the COVID-era launch of her latest startup and its potential to help healthtech companies navigate a critical time for messaging and awareness.  “There is a lot of value that a marketer with an understanding of science can add to…

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