Tag: Forward Cities

Leah Hermida, The Windmill KC

Leah Hermida brought coffee home to KCK; her Windmill KC cafe already needs more space

By Tommy Felts / May 8, 2021

In the shadow of the Kansas City skyline, new entrepreneurial energy is brewing in Wyandotte County, the childhood home of Leah Hermida.  “I knew the community really well,” Hermida said from her pandemic-opened, Turner-based coffee shop, The Windmill KC, noting she grew up in the city before eventually relocating to Overland Park. “I worked locally…

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Liliane Lemani, African Designs by Liliane and Amisi

The Toolbox aims to bridge cultural entrepreneur gap in WyCo; opening new resource center Thursday

By Tommy Felts / April 26, 2021

Editor’s note: This story is sponsored and was produced by Forward Cities, a non-financial partner of Startland News and a national nonprofit that is managing the implementation of the ESHIP Communities program as a grantee of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Any opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author. Pedro Morales, owner…

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Charon Thompson and Daniel Smith, the Porter House KC

‘Someone to lean on’ — Forward KC partners to bring 1-on-1 mentorship to Troost, Prospect

By Tommy Felts / October 2, 2020

It’s obvious where Kansas City’s underserved areas for entrepreneurial and community resources fall — the east side, said Morgan Perry, noting that 22 chambers of commerce serve other portions of Jackson County. “But for Troost, for Prospect — where are the resources on the ground for them? They are no one’s focus,” said Perry, who…

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Andy Stoll, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 2020 ESHIP Summit

ESHIP Summit: Data shows urgent question — Who isn’t starting a business?

By Tommy Felts / September 18, 2020

Editor’s note: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial sponsor of Startland News. This report was produced independently by Startland News’ nonprofit newsroom. Inclusion is about fulfilling untapped potential, said Sameeksha Desai, detailing nationwide equity gaps in entrepreneurial ecosystem building. “A lot of the reason that we ended up in this situation is because…

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Gabe Muñoz; photo by Ray Carrington for Forward Cities

ESHIP Communities: 10 ways Kansas City can support its businesses and entrepreneurs

By Tommy Felts / May 7, 2020

Editor’s note: This story is sponsored and was produced by Forward Cities, a non-financial partner of Startland News and a national nonprofit that is managing the implementation of the ESHIP Communities program as a grantee of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Any opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author. ESHIP Communities Kansas City is dedicated…

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