Amelia Arvesen

Recent Articles by Amelia Arvesen

Bearded Fellas

Bearded Fellas shave away ‘just a doll’ — leaving the beauty of everyday magic, people

Ali Bustos didn’t even know how to sew when she was gifted a sewing machine by her parents in 2008. More preoccupied with painting at the time, the machine sat mostly unused.  But when her first son was born, it was difficult to paint with a wiggly baby in her arms, she said.  Her yearning…

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Shekhar Gupta, MyAnIML, Blockchain Initiatives

Blockchain to beef: Why one serial innovator traded the slow pace of corporate life for another muzzle

Shekhar Gupta learned early that life comes with two approaches for overcoming challenges: accept the problem and move on or figure out a better way of solving it. The Kansas City serial entrepreneur has no shortage of ideas for finding solutions, but he keeps moving nonetheless. As COO of Blockchain Initiatives, Gupta has his hands…

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Nayelly Serrano-Dantzler, Erika Reza, Silvia Marin, and Veronica Alvidrez, paraMi

No soy tu chacha: How four Latinx moms (and 600+ of their closest friends) are cleaning up gender roles

Editor’s note: Veronica Alvidrez is a member of the education team at Startland, the parent organization of Startland News. This story, detailing Alvidrez’s business, paraMi, was produced independently by Startland News’ independent nonprofit newsroom. One year ago in the thick of the pandemic, Veronica Alvidrez felt like she was losing her voice. Not the literal one —…

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Linda Ordway A-Frame cabin

PondDay — the KC-cast ‘Airbnb for private ponds and lakes’ — drops its first lure in Missouri

Some of Parker Tergin’s favorite memories are set on a lake or pond: fishing with his grandfather, reuniting with his college buddies at one of their properties to tell stories around a bonfire, and finding peace and stillness outside the busyness of the city. “I’m surrounded by tall buildings and concrete all day downtown,” he…

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Matt Lett and Jessica Teliczan, Paradise Garden Club

Welcome to Paradise (Garden Club): ‘The world might be on fire, but this plant is doing great’

No matter the color of your thumb, Paradise Garden Club has something for all its plant fans, said Jessica Teliczan.  Housed in an airy warehouse in Crossroads, the plant nursery and community space has become a bustling spot for greenery collectors and enthusiasts. Customers can shop in store, order shippable plants online, hire the team…

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Nina Whitmore, Kanvess Clothing

Why Nina Whitmore left Corporate America to fight fast fashion (The answer is pretty black and white)

When Nina Whitmore was in elementary school, she always wore culottes — flowy cropped pants that are now back in style. They were easiest for her mother to sew, even though Whitmore would have preferred to wear jeans like the other kids, she said. Her interest in fashion began as a tween, when she paged…

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