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Up To Date

Kansas City's COVIDpreneurs | Kansas Inspired Album

By Steve Kraske,
Liam Mays, Mackenzie Martin
Published November 5, 2020 at 6:11 PM CST
Shawanna Meeks holding up two of her handbags.
Shawanna Meeks
Shawanna Meeks' handbag company began just as the pandemic started.

Starting businesses during a global pandemic, and Kansas City's Kevin Morby releases new album.

Segment 1, beginning at 5:08: Despite the ongoing pandemic new businesses are still opening.

"COVIDpreneur" is a new trend occurring in the midst of the pandemic. Businesses ranging from handbags to bed and breakfasts to construction companies have opened up in recent months. "As a startup, you don't know what the next day is gonna hold," Shawanna Meeks, founder of Meeks Me Smile Studios, said.

Segment 2, beginning at 33:08: The songs on Kevin Morby's latest release were written in 2017 but fit this pandemic time.

Being isolated away from the music industry and experiencing melancholy with the setting sun resulted in "Sundowner." Composed in his backyard shed, Morby worked through Kansas weather without air conditioning or heat.

Tags
Up To Date CoronavirusKansas CityKansas City Small BusinessLocal BusinessentrepreneurshipTalk ShowLocal musicMusicrock
Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
See stories by Steve Kraske
Liam Mays
See stories by Liam Mays
Mackenzie Martin
As senior podcast producer for KCUR Studios and a host of A People’s History of Kansas City, I interview everyday people and dig through old newspaper articles to unearth stories of the visionaries and renegades who created this region. I focus on bringing the past to life, so we can all better understand the city we live in today. Email me at mackenzie@kcur.org.
See stories by Mackenzie Martin