Joyce Smith

Recent Articles by Joyce Smith

Developers unveil ‘The Parker’ at historic jazz site; the latest 18th & Vine reboot project

May 6, 2025

‘We will have an 18th and Vine where we don’t just tell stories, but where we make new ones,’ said Mayor Quinton Lucas. ‘And we will have an 18th and Vine that continues to be a crown jewel – not just of our Black community – but of our entire region.’ Respecting the hallowed ground…

Read More

Innovation index: Cross-newsroom startup data partnership puts Kansas City on the map

May 6, 2025

Finding relevant, actionable information on innovation happening in one’s own backyard can be tough, said Christopher Wink, announcing Kansas City’s inclusion within a new resource for navigating innovation communities. “Every metro region, every state has some website or page — ‘This is where you start if you’re going to join the KC tech community or…

Read More

This duo plans to takedown one of female wrestlers’ most ‘mortifying’ foes: the wrong kind of exposure

May 6, 2025

Two women-owned Kansas businesses are teaming up to ensure that female wrestlers don’t get pinned by a wardrobe malfunction mid-match, shared Deb North and Frankie Elder-Reedy. It’s a pairing that shows for these sole sisters, entrepreneurship is more than an individual sport. Topeka-based Yes! Athletics is going to the mat with the Apex high-impact sports…

Read More

Entrepreneur featured on Hallmark show finds identity beyond motherhood (with help from Connie Britton and her own KC Team Mom)

May 6, 2025

When Kansas City’s Rochelle Owens answered a message from Hallmark, she had no idea it would launch her into the national spotlight — or transform her life as a single mother and aspiring entrepreneur. Owens is the featured mom in Monday’s episode of The Motherhood, Hallmark’s new reality series created and hosted by actress Connie…

Read More

Four role models selected for Hall of Fame as Junior Achievement celebrates 25 years of business honors

May 3, 2025

A fresh round of Hall of Fame laureates celebrates Kansas City’s living legacy of visionary leaders who drive business excellence, innovation and community impact, said Megan Sturges, announcing a range of honorees from tech to tender chicken. “The JA Business Hall of Fame celebrates more than business success — it honors the spirit of leadership…

Read More

First domino falls as University of Kentucky athletic department launches its own LLC

May 2, 2025

Editor’s note: The perspectives expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Parker Graham is co-founder of Vestible, an Overland Park-based investment platform that gives fans ownership in the career trajectories of their favorite players. [divide] The University of Kentucky’s athletic department is officially becoming its own LLC. Anyone in athletics needs to understand the…

Read More

BoysGrow cultivates young leaders in South Kansas City through farming, purpose, entrepreneurship

May 2, 2025

Editor’s note: The following story was written and first published by the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri (EDCKC). Click here to read the original story. [divide] At the heart of South Kansas City’s farmland, a quiet transformation is happening. For more than a decade, BoysGrow has been shaping not just crops — but futures. Founded…

Read More

Start the ignition: These Operation Breakthrough students just designed MADE MOBB’s latest drop

May 1, 2025

Vu Radley wants students at Operation Breakthrough’s Ignition Lab to have opportunities he wishes he would have been offered in high school, shared the co-owner of Crossroads-based streetwear brand MADE MOBB. His team spent the past nine months working with a handful of teens at the Ignition Lab — Josiah Bryant, Suleyman Dia, Jeremiyah Bradley,…

Read More

It’s going DAO: Why an NFT-fueled blockchain org is launching in KC alongside Global Pizza Day

May 1, 2025

A pizza party in a Midtown eatery covered in art is expected to mark the launch of a Nouns DAO chapter in Kansas City — a group endeavoring to fund local creativity, support the public good and expand access to decentralized cultural funding.  But there’s more at stake than just getting a piece of the…

Read More

Next-gen threats loom: Cybersecurity veteran weaves solution for businesses of all verticals, sizes

May 1, 2025

Short-handed and dispersed teams face growing risks as they amass technology, said Chuck Crawford, detailing how technology debt and sprawl lead not only to underutilized tech and siloed environments — but open the door to cybersecurity threats. Such next-generation challenges require the expertise of an industry veteran like Crawford, who launched Loom Security in April…

Read More