Listen: From Brazil to Kansas City, furniture entrepreneur shares journey

March 28, 2017  |  Startland Staff

Editor’s note: In partnership with the KC Greats podcast, hosted by Scott Parman, Startland News hopes to offer its audience more avenues to learn about entrepreneurs in Kansas City. Opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. 


In this episode, host Scott Parman welcomes the founder of Freedom Companies Carol Espinosa. 

Carol Espinosa

Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Espinosa attended the University of Kansas for Creative Writing. Her path unexpectedly led her to working at a local office furniture dealership. After seven years on the job, Espinosa eventually opened her own independent office furniture firm Freedom Companies.

Espinosa shares how she managed to break into an established industry as a newcomer as well as her trek to becoming an American citizen.

Learn more with the podcast below.

Tagged
Featured Business
    Featured Founder
      [adinserter block="4"]

      2017 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        Check out the entrepreneur winners of this library pitch competition (and beyond-the-shelf resources)

        By Tommy Felts | September 27, 2025

        Overwhelmed and excited to make a bigger impact, Rasheedah Villarreal expressed joy and gratitude Thursday after her name was announced as the top winner among a wide-ranging catalog of entrepreneurs pitching for cash prizes, community support, and serious momentum. Her business, Social Emotional Yoga with Mrs. V, also earned “Crowd Favorite” honors, sending the founder…

        Controlled Burn: BoysGrow sets the table for fire-infused meal sparked by farm’s teen entrepreneurs, KC chefs

        By Tommy Felts | September 26, 2025

        A live fire culinary event at the BoysGrow farm in south Kansas City is a dream come true for John Gordon, he shared, detailing plans for a fundraiser that harvests an immersive and unforgettable dining experience from the teen-focused ag entrepreneurship program. The one-night-only “Controlled Burn” heats up Oct. 5 at the 10-acre farm where…

        BeVel’s edge on Troost: Scaling culture alongside barbershop’s executive clean up

        By Tommy Felts | September 26, 2025

        A young Casie Murff jumped from cutting lawns to shaping lines, but it wasn’t until decades later — after embracing support from groups like The Porter House KC, Kansas City G.I.F.T. and a resurgent Troost business community — that the entrepreneur’s vision truly started buzzing. “Sometimes as entrepreneurs, you need that reassurance,” Murff, founder of…

        Photos: Founders plug into vibrant Startup Crawl energy as Startland celebrates decade of storytelling

        By Tommy Felts | September 24, 2025

        Startland News’ one-night, rolling innovation showcase Friday served as a launch for select founders — capitalizing on a crowd of 500-plus Startup Crawl participants to bring their emerging companies into the Kansas City spotlight, one conversation at a time. “I love that we got to share Portrayals XR with Kansas City first,” said Tricia Keightley,…