Tag: KC Handmade Goods

New Maker of the Year: Why this mom’s side hustle for the girly girls couldn’t stay at home

By Tommy Felts / December 9, 2025

A hobbyist venture that began with making shirts for her kids has earned Julie Swopes a spot on Made in KC’s shelves for her Chiefs- and Royals-inspired tees — along with one of the local-first retailer’s top honors: KC New Maker of the Year for 2025. “I’m just a stay-at-home mom that has turned her…

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Shop Small: 5 gifts for sports fans (including Swifties in their KC era)

By Tommy Felts / November 21, 2023

Editor’s note: This feature is the second in Startland News’ five-part holiday gift guide — presented in 2023 by nbkc bank — showcasing Kansas City makers and their products. Check out the featured maker below, then keep reading for five gift ideas to get started. Kansas City’s time in the spotlight this year — whether…

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They started their own businesses; now these young founders are widening the pipeline to entrepreneurship for their peers

By Tommy Felts / March 2, 2023

Aidan Hall felt the support of Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem when he launched what would become KC Handmade Goods as an eighth grader, he said; years later, the young business owner is working to pay that feeling forward. An Iowa State freshman and Shawnee Mission West graduate, Hall got his start selling duct tape wallets…

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