KCMO launching ‘Full Tilt Film Festival’ to showcase intersection of sports, film, culture
Six weeks after World Cup visitors wave goodbye, Kansas City is set to welcome sports and entertainment industry executives, celebrities, professional athletes and fans for a new signature event celebrating the art and business of sports storytelling, Mayor Quinton Lucas announced Tuesday. The Full Tilt Film Festival — slated for Aug. 28-29 across various venues…
Iconic KC BBQ spot opening ‘Joe’s Next Door’ in former Taco Republic across the street
A beloved Kansas City barbecue is set to debut a new neighborhood restaurant concept — its first new location in nearly a decade — open every day of the week. The owners of Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que plan to launch Joe’s Next Door in May, in the former Taco Republic complex — just across Mission…
Missouri Startup Weekend back with $45,000 in prizes, $600,000 in potential investment
COLUMBIA, Mo. — A flagship event for the state’s startup ecosystem is returning April 17-19 in a bid to help build Missouri’s next billion-dollar company, said Willy Schlacks, noting it’s a proven launch pad for future unicorns. “We still talk about that original Startup Weekend all the time,” said Schlacks, president and co‑founder of EquipmentShare…
Five-alarm to market: Vegan ice cream maker proves her treats can take the heat of competition
Fresh off a 24-hour shift at the fire station, Zoe Mays — founder of Scream Queens — rode a wave of adrenaline to victory at last week’s Food Biz Con pitch competition. Mays — a poet-turned-firefighter/paramedic-turned-entrepreneur — took home $5,000 for her vegan ice cream pop-up business, which she founded in 2024 after her girlfriend…
Chef J planning Northland BBQ experience: His training was Italian, his passion fire
After six years as a mostly weekend only, lunch-to-sellout barbecue operation in the West Bottoms, Chef J BBQ is ready to give the metro its first traditional outdoor smokehouse restaurant. The new North Kansas City venue will feature live fire, offset smokers set up next to a large outdoor patio where customers can get an…
World Cup prep is writing KC’s history today, leaders say; here’s what they hope will be remembered after the games
Twelve years later, Graham Zusi still gets choked up talking about the emotions he felt after the U.S. soccer team triumphed over Ghana in the FIFA World Cup, and he saw scenes of hometown fans celebrating in the Power and Light District in downtown Kansas City. “For Matt Besler and I — two Kansas City…
From Homebase to homes of the future: Here’s how KC-connected Quext landed its GFiber partnership
When Blake Miller talks about smart buildings, he isn’t theorizing from afar. He’s tracing a line that runs straight through Kansas City — from early smart-city experiments and public Wi-Fi infrastructure to a new partnership with GFiber that aims to reshape how residents experience internet access and daily digital life inside apartment buildings. Miller, founder…
Collaboration destination: Showcase reveals who’s arrived (and who’s getting on board), small biz owners say
Call it a rehearsal for World Cup, said Vicky Kulikov, drawing parallels between Wednesday’s small business showcase at Union Station and the opportunities ahead for Kansas City entrepreneurs hoping to shine a spotlight on their companies when international soccer fans arrive this summer. Timing for this year’s KC Chamber Candidates Showcase — a key starting…
MADE MOBB bags massive wholesale deal with Scheels; setting its sights on Midwest fit
MADE MOBB’s expansion throughout the Midwest — recently snaring two dozen big box sports store locations across 16 states — isn’t built on luck, said Mark Launiu. The brand hunted its own way to stand out in the crowd: and it starts with camo (that doesn’t blend in). The Kansas City-built streetwear brand on Thursday announced…
Parade of Hearts cheat code: All 150 hearts together for one day, then never again; here’s where you can find them
A public unveiling of all 150 sculptures crafted for the 2026 Parade of Hearts — displayed together April 4 for one day only before being dispersed across the region — will mark the first glimpse of tech worker-turned-“Heartist” Luke Broste’s third piece in the wildly popular, sprawling Kansas City art installation. Like the 149 other…
