Woman-led

‘Always in Season’ tee raises funds for neighborhood farmers market targeted by DEI-related cuts

By Tommy Felts / March 6, 2025

Kansas City designer Lauren Allen is serving up something fresh — both in style and in message. Her latest T-shirt for the Ivanhoe Farmers Market delivers a bold statement: “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion are always in season.” Designed with vibrant vegetable illustrations, the shirt celebrates DEI while supporting a vital community resource — and its…

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Heart-shaped goalllll: How city’s favorite parade of art, culture creates 150 openings for KC in 2026

By Tommy Felts / March 5, 2025

Parade of Hearts scores new sculpture design as campaign looks down the pitch to World Cup potential A newly revealed sculpture design for the 2026 Parade of Hearts campaign is more than just the fiberglass from which it takes shape, Carmen Zuniga told a crowd gathered for a sneak peek at the prototype for the…

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A night for knock-outs: Pipeline gala adds glitz to the hard-fought battles of entrepreneurship (Photos)

By Tommy Felts / March 4, 2025

Midwest means resilience, Melissa Vincent told a black-tie crowd of entrepreneurs gathered Friday evening in the Grand Hall at Union Station, ultimately sharing the stage with not one, but two Innovator of the Year honorees. “When they get knocked down, knocked out, they get back up and they stay in the ring,” continued Vincent, CEO…

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Topeka startup hub launches diverse entrepreneur community (with fintech help on loan from KC’s Cyphr)

By Tommy Felts / March 4, 2025

TOPEKA — An initiative aimed at boosting early to mid-stage entrepreneur development in the heart of Kansas launched Friday, said Michael Odupitan, noting the effort by Topeka-based Omni Circle to redefine the startup journey — and who’s allowed to join it — comes with a Kansas City assist. “Omni’s goal is to unite and strengthen…

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Kauffman-backed tech coalition gains runway (and funding) to help fill KC’s talent pipeline, leader says

By Tommy Felts / March 3, 2025

A new talent-focused coalition led by the KC Tech Council envisions a reality where all of Kansas City’s tech jobs can be filled by Kansas City, said Kara Lowe, unveiling new details of an initiative made possible by the Kauffman Foundation’s new “Collective Impact” funding pathway. KC Tech Council on Friday publicly announced its employer-led…

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