Woman-led

This Midtown pizza shop sliced through challenges, topping years of popup work with grand opening

By Tommy Felts / September 18, 2024

Orange By: Devoured — the flagship pizza shop from Jhy Coulter — is finally ready for the public, she said, after enduring years of pop-ups to keep the dream alive, renovations, and the closure of business lending platform Mainvest that took founders by surprise.  “I am tired — I’m exhausted,” Coulter said with a laugh,…

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Hy-Vee’s small biz competition sends Midwest entrepreneurs racing for $50K checkout; Here are the winners

By Tommy Felts / September 13, 2024

BaKIT Box, a Chicago-based subscription service offering baking kits inspired by diverse global cuisines, took home the $30,000 grand prize at the 2024 Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit.  Shelley Gupta, the founder and CEO of BaKIT Box, was thrilled to receive the grand prize, she said. “It feels incredible,” Gupta said. “I flew here last…

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KC pet tech startup fetches $120K Techstars investment, taking founder’s pitch to Atlanta

By Tommy Felts / September 12, 2024

As Kansas City-built Interplay prepares to bring its debut product to market, the pet tech startup is getting a jolt of new energy from one of the nation’s top accelerator programs. The timing couldn’t be better, said founder Jonaie Johnson, announcing Interplay’s acceptance into Techstars Atlanta & New Orleans Powered by J.P. Morgan, which welcomed…

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Swifts endorsement: KC couple opens Cadillac of Cajun restaurants along streetcar line

By Tommy Felts / September 11, 2024

Richard and Sheila Swift started small: selling their Cajun cuisine out of an existing bar and grill in Kansas City, Kansas, in late 2022. Within a few months they had a loyal following.  Still, they wanted their own operation. So they paused and spent a month planning their next step. They formed an LLC, splurged…

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How a military mom’s hobby blossomed into a flower business in rural NW Missouri

By Tommy Felts / September 10, 2024

Editor’s note: The following story was produced through a paid partnership with MOSourceLink, which boasts a mission to help entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state of Missouri grow and succeed by providing free, easy access to the help they need — when they need it. [divide] ROCK PORT, Missouri — Mandy Herron turned two…

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