Channa Steinmetz

Recent Articles by Channa Steinmetz

MADE MOBB Chiefs Pop-Up

Their exclusive Chiefs hoodies sold out in less than three hours; How you can snag a tee before it’s too late

Chiefs playoffs tickets might be the hottest-selling item in town, but there’s a close second. Lines started forming at 4 p.m. Friday outside MADE MOBB’s headquarters in the Crossroads as fans eagerly awaited the release of the premier KC streetwear brand’s exclusive post-season collaboration with the Kansas City Chiefs. And the crowds didn’t let up…

Baby back ribs from Marina 27

Taste 200 restaurants in 10 days? Why your stomach (and hungry neighbors) will thank you

Curious Kansas City diners can step away from their kitchens for the next 10 days, teased Carlos Mortera, as chefs at 200 restaurants across the city plate their latest trending tastes during the metro’s most-anticipated culinary showcase. “It’s a big deal in Kansas City. Many of the restaurants feature items they don’t usually have on the…

Vu Radley, Made Mobb

MADE MOBB remix: How the KC streetwear kings’ Chiefs collab takes their grind to the gridiron

The postseason pairing of Kansas City’s premier streetwear brand and its most celebrated sports franchise is a dream come true — one years in the making for longtime fans and co-founders Vu Radley and Mark Launiu. “I’m glad it happened now, because after nine years of doing this, we are ready,” said Radley, describing MADE…

Willy Schlacks and Jabbok Schlacks, EquipmentShare, Scale

Winning alumni revive Columbia Startup Weekend to unlock Midwest talent, find the next billion-dollar startup

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. Techstars…

Juan Paredes and Sonia Sandoval, Happy Tummy; Startland News photo by Channa Steinmetz

Nothing speaks like flavor: How Johnson County’s favorite empanada stand plans to reach more ‘happy tummies’ (and where to find them)

 When Sonia Sandoval moved to America from Venezuela, language was a barrier, she recalled. Rather than keep to herself, Sandoval found a more meaningful form of communication: food. “I started [cooking] when I was 11 years old,” said Sandoval, who co-founded the pop-up Venezuelan food concept, Happy Tummy, with her husband, Juan Paredes. “I…

Cosmo Burger; photo courtesy of Pilsen Photo Co-Op

How this Waldo burger stand crafts the tastiest patties in the cosmos (and where its ground round galaxy is expanding next)

Keep it simple and smashed, said Jacob Kruger. “I have always been a big fan of restaurants and businesses that have a very simplistic approach,” said Kruger, who serves as the head chef (or “Burger Boy”) at Cosmo Burger, located within Dodson’s Bar and Commons in Waldo — and coming soon to Lenexa Public Market….

Olive Cooke, Sylvia Metta, and Kim Conyers Cauldron Collective

Vegan spell falls over West Bottoms restaurant as this trio’s plant-based potions ring in a new year

Every witch needs a coven, said Olive Cooke, Sylvia Metta and Kim Conyers; so they conjured a community in the West Bottoms to serve their vegan bites.  Cauldron Collective — a plant-based, comfort food venture co-founded by self-proclaimed “cooking witches” Cooke, Metta and Conyers in January 2021 — made its mark in Kansas City through…

Jon Kramer and Brian Weaver, Torch.AI

Torch.AI acquisition boosts its national security thumbprint, building out workforce proudly in KC

Leveraging Torch.AI’s local talent alongside targeted acquisitions gets the Leawood artificial intelligence firm closer to its goal of securely sharing data with the world, said Brian Weaver, founder and CEO, committing to keeping the surging company in Kansas City. “As our technology is being adopted by more and more customers and those customers continue to…

Designs by Lephant LLC, The Kritiq 2021

Why mental health took the runway before a single model walked The Kritiq’s largest fashion show yet

If speaking openly about mental health isn’t already part of the culture, you have to put it in the spotlight, said Mark Launiu, detailing why his recent fashion show offered the best runway to address a silent epidemic within underserved communities.  “You can’t reach a destination if you’re not mentally ready for the journey. I’m…

Shekhar Gupta, MyANIML

2022 Startups to Watch: MyAnIML plans to save the bovine industry millions through AI facial analysis in cattle

Editor’s note: Startland News selected 10 Kansas City firms to spotlight for its annual Startups to Watch list, now in its seventh year recognizing founders and startups that editors believe will make some of the biggest news in the coming 12 months. The following is one of 2022’s companies. Click here to view the full…