Tag: Rickey Leathers

Meet the winners: Pitch Black competition rewards founders’ vision with $60K in prizes

By Tommy Felts / April 1, 2025

Founder Godfrey Riddle was overwhelmed with emotion Saturday, he said, after accepting the $30,000 grand prize at the Pitch Black Business Summit — a game-changing development for his sustainable, affordable housing venture, Civic Saint. “I’m feeling phenomenal. Shocked, relieved — just elated,” said Riddle, following the announcement of his win. “It’s crazy because when you…

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Young mom’s apparel for crawling babies wins best fit for UMKC Side Hustle Challenge

By Tommy Felts / November 15, 2024

Riley Rhoads knows firsthand how overwhelming it is to shop for baby clothes, the University of Missouri-Kansas City student and new mother shared, so she created a product to help fellow moms. Hold Tight Baby — Rhoads’ venture that earned her first place at UMKC’s Side Hustle Challenge — makes pants for crawling babies. The…

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ScaleUP! KC touts revenue success stories as latest small biz cohort opens applications

By Tommy Felts / July 19, 2023

Growth outcomes don’t always follow entrepreneurs’ graduation from ScaleUP! KC — sometimes they come before the game-changing, no-cost program is even complete, its leaders said. Rickey Leathers made significant strides in his business, Savvy Salon — co-owned with his wife, Lenora — while enrolled in the cohort, he said. “I successfully opened a second location…

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Amplified to scale: Superstars initiative shines brighter as Chamber widens spotlight (Photos)

By Tommy Felts / February 24, 2023

Editor’s note: The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is a non-financial partner of Startland News, which serves as the media partner for the Small Business Superstars program. For the roughly 400 entrepreneurs who gathered Wednesday at lightwell, being a small business owner began to feel like something much bigger, said organizers of the KC…

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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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