Joyce Smith
Recent Articles by Joyce Smith
Update: A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support the family of the late Jeff Evans. Click here to learn more or to donate. [divide] With doors temporarily closed early this week (July 21-22) to mourn the loss of co-founder Jeff Evans, the team behind Mean Mule Distilling is asking its community to “grieve with…
Read MoreEven a ripple can make waves, said Mitch Mabrey, an exited cleantech founder whose new cause finds him on a mission to ensure that the voices of residents from all walks of life are more broadly heard — and answered — by their government officials. Resonus, his Kansas City-based political information platform is designed to…
Read MoreAfter a decade-long journey building his BBQ business — from tailgates to a just-opened brick-and-mortar restaurant — Wardell Hooks Jr. would only change one thing along the way: He’d have quit his full-time job sooner. “My thing is the joy,” said Hooks, founder of Off the Hook BBQ, describing the feeling of accomplishment from his…
Read MoreScoring state-side shooting locations for the newest season of “Ted Lasso” reflects a strategy by the KC Film Office that’s straight from the hit Apple TV+ series’ playbook: the harder you work, the luckier you get. “‘Ted Lasso’ filming in Kansas City represents everything we’ve been working toward,” said Rachel Kephart, director of the KC…
Read MoreCross-sector collaboration will be key for Misty Chandler as she embarks on a freshly carved out journey within the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s evolving Real World Learning strategy, said Dr. Susan Klusmeier, lauding the longtime advocate for her wealth of experience with workforce readiness and student success at the University of Kansas. “Her deep understanding…
Read MoreLenexa-based indoor golf concept GolfTRK is teeing off into the world of franchising, said Matt Williams, scoring big wins from coast to coast as demand to expand access to “golf light” soars. The modern training and performance facility — a Trackman Preferred Franchise Partner with locations in Lenexa and Overland Park — now has 11…
Read MoreEditor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. [divide] Artificial intelligence had a hand in a new art installation at a Kansas City Streetcar stop; David Morris’ abstract digital…
Read MoreIt’s all about the pan for Carlos Saura, a Spanish chef whose new paella and tapas spot in Kansas City’s bustling and diverse City Market is set to arrive in late summer or early fall — helping bring the historic marketplace district to 100-percent-leased capacity. The Paella Mix, at 25 E. Third St., is expected…
Read MoreThe fail-fast mindset and high risk tolerance many American entrepreneurs employ in their quests to build unicorn startups are arguably foreign concepts to business builders on the other side of the globe, said Lucy-Llonna Larbi. Her experiences in Germany reflect a slower, security-first focus, she said, expressing admiration for the American approach. “We think that…
Read MoreNearly a year in the works, a first floor space in an 1890s-era West Bottoms warehouse is open and envisioned as the place for a “ritual of pause.” Klā Sanctuary — with its special spa baths and body-oriented treatments — and the tea-focused Selah Lounge share the 6,000-square-foot spot at 1400 W. 13th St. Matthew…
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