Tag: Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit

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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This 11-year-old’s lemonade sells out in hours at Hy-Vee; Here’s how he hopes to extend the shelf life of his young family business

By Tommy Felts / January 5, 2023

The all-natural, fresh-squeezed lemonade made by 11-year-old Tre Glasper and his family in a Manhattan commercial kitchen is making its way to Kansas City thanks to a tart partnership with one of the Midwest’s leading grocery chains. Tre typically sells about 100 bottles of Tre’s Squeeze — an amount that takes two to three hours…

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Savvy duo builds their brand on embracing natural hair; Here’s how the salon chain is creating healthy space for stylists, clients alike

By Tommy Felts / January 3, 2023

Savvy Salon KC — one of Kansas City’s only Black-owned salon chains — is all about creating a better experience for both the customer and the stylists, said founders Rickey and Lenora Leathers. The salon — which specializes in curly- and coily-textured hair and creating sustainable career opportunities for women of color — opened its…

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How investments in Black businesses can help close KC’s racial wealth gap

By Tommy Felts / November 25, 2022

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by The Kansas City Beacon, a member of the KC Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, and Missouri Business Alert. Click here to read the original story. When Denisha Jones launched her business, Sweet Peaches Cobblers, in August 2020, it was just…

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Hy-Vee plans summit, pitch competition with $45K+ in investments for minority-, women-owned businesses

By Tommy Felts / August 26, 2022

A Midwest supermarket chain announced this week a new event to help showcase its commitment to advancing minority- and women-owned companies at the home of the Kansas City Chiefs. The Hy-Vee OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit is set for Sept. 27 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, courtesy of the Chiefs, and is expected to feature…

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