Startland News

A?startup leader, exited executive, and tech advocate who emerged from Cerner Corporation to become one of the most prominent voices for investing in Kansas City will now champion the region in a new way: as president and CEO of an influential nonprofit that bears her former boss’ name. Maria Flynn?was announced Tuesday as the new leader of the Patterson Family Foundation, a $1.5 billion-asset organization focused on helping rural communities thrive. She most recently founded the consulting firm?Ambiologix?and helped launch the Digital Health KC?initiative.

Orange By: Devoured — the flagship pizza shop from Jhy Coulter — is finally ready for the public, she said, after enduring years of pop-ups to keep the dream alive, renovations, and the closure of business lending platform Mainvest that took founders by surprise. “I am tired — I’m exhausted,” Coulter said with a laugh, noting the pizza shop deftly handled three weeks since opening. “But I feel good. Everyone has been receptive to my food, to my concept, and everything.”

Lenexa-headquartered Southwind hopes to ease the hassles of home ownership by launching a customizable, comprehensive service program, said Jeffery Anderson. The sprawling home services company — with brands like 1-800-GOT-JUNK? and MVP Heating, Cooling, and Electrical — recently introduced OneOS Home, which is an innovative platform designed to revolutionize how homeowners access and manage essential home services, according to the company.

Inspired by her five daughters, Joelle Smith created a dress line and online boutique she hopes captures the innocence, beauty, and whimsical spirit of young girls — even though hers are now grown. “When they were little girls, I loved watching them put on a dress and just light up and then twirl and play in that dress and how it changes their whole attitude and mood,” the owner of Simply Sweet explained. “I want every little girl to feel really special in these dresses when they put them on — but not only the little girls — the moms that are watching them, too.”

Access to safe and affordable child care is an issue that should concern everyone, Judy Bumpus acknowledged. Research indicates the current capacity to provide child care within the Kansas City metro is only 45 percent, according to the director of client services for the Kansas City Women’s Business Center, with 80,000 children still needing childcare services.

Sebastian James assumed until recently that his music career had already peaked, the hometown hit-maker shared. In 2011, the 18-year-old Riverside native and Park Hill South graduate started touring the country as the drummer for the Nigel Dupree Band, opening for bands like Korn and Stone Temple Pilots. But this year, at 30, he launched his solo career and his first two singles “American Made” and “When We Were Young” are taking off, each landing on the Top 40 charts.

A recently launched crowdfunding campaign to help BLK + BRWN make rent could mean the difference between access and censorship for the community served by the indie bookstore, said Cori Smith. “This is my flavor of activism,” Smith said of BLK + BRWN, the 39th Street business she describes as both a passion project and a lifeline for Kansas City’s Black and Brown readers. “When people ask why I opened the store, why I carry what I carry — this is why. I want people to have access to stories that reflect them.”

Westport Champagne bar and bistro ?a Va closed in March for a quick rebrand. Six months later, a new name, owner and concept are bubbling in the space — with plans to reopen by the holidays. Chef Amante Domingo — perhaps best known for his Midtown restaurant The Russell — is taking over the spot at 4149 Pennsylvania Ave., on the southern edge of the entertainment district.

Kansas City’s longtime favorite Go Chicken Go is expanding to the Northland — its first new location in nearly 25 years. The hometown staple — a family-owned, third generation business based in Overland Park — is taking over the former Taco Bueno freestanding building at 380 N.E. Vivion Road, for an early 2025 opening. The new Northland location will feature a drive-thru and a dining room. It also will have online ordering.

A newly introduced fund aimed at helping KCMO small businesses recover from and prevent property crimes — offering grants up to $3,000 for damage repairs and $5,000 for security upgrades — is a step in the right direction, said Joe Giammanco, whose pizza shop was recently hit by criminals. “Programs like this are going to help small businesses like a restaurant that already runs in extremely low margins, get through,” the Waldo business owner said Thursday during a press conference announcing the city’s Back to Business Fund outside his storefront. “I’m really grateful for this. It helps us move forward.”