Woman-led

Rachel Cohen, My Bear Jeff

My Bear Jeff unboxes mission to soothe childhood trauma, begins delivering teddy bear relief

Inspired to deliver peace to trauma-affected children, My Bear Jeff officially launched its teddy bear relief effort in late July after a successful kickstarter campaign, said Rachel Cohen. “The support we’ve had is so insane and absolutely wild — like this community and my friends and family saw this vision and were like, ‘Yes, let’s…

Love Spot KC

Fashion (role) models: How Love Spot KC’s simple statement tees inspire more than words

One of Kansas City’s latest apparel companies isn’t just another T-shirt shop — it’s a Black-owned, woman-owned empowerment engine that even a global pandemic hasn’t shaken, said Courtnee White.  “A business that is showing diversity in women, I think that’s a huge thing,” White, owner of the Love Spot KC, said of the brand’s mission to…

Mark and Marissa Gencarelli, Yoli Tortilleria

Yoli Tortilleria grinds success into perfect warm tortilla, opening retail experience in Westside

A new retail operation in Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood is a sign of massive growth, hot on the griddle for Yoli Tortilleria.  “There’s nothing, for me, better than once you put that warm tortilla in your hands and just experience it,” said Marissa Gencarelli, who co-owns and operates Yoli with her husband, Mark. “There’s a…

Ashley Rudd and Xavier Campbell, Brown Sugar Collective

Brown Sugar Collective promises sisterhood of support, collaboration for women of color

When it comes to entrepreneurial support in Kansas City, women of color often are left out of conversations that could help them grow their businesses, said Ashley Rudd. “They don’t necessarily feel like their voice is heard,” Rudd, founder of the personal shopping startup She’s Thrifted, said of her experience within the metro’s entrepreneurial community and…

‘Humans are the real technology,’ mother-daughter holistic health duo says 

Balancing health tech with holistic and Taoist perspectives keeps the most important startup element — humans — top of mind, said Stacy Tucker. “Being in the tech space, we have these amazing advances in medical technology, yet we have gotten further and further away from humans as the real technology,” said Tucker, co-founder of Kansas…