entrepreneurship

The city will fund entrepreneurs, artists and leasing support for landlords who open pop-up shops in vacant buildings for the thousands of people who come to Kansas City for the World Cup next year. $10,000 grants will be available through the newly announced Open Doors! Program.

The KC Game Plan is designed specifically for business owners in such high-engagement industries as dining, lodging, retail and entertainment.

At Ding Dong Dogs just west of UMKC, you can get The Roo-Up Dog, a jumbo dog topped with pulled pork, pickled red onion, sport peppers and barbecue mustard. Or bite into The Big Salvy, the same jumbo wiener smothered with caramelized onion, giardiniera, tots and mustard.

Mike King calls himself a chocolate maker as one of those who starts with the raw beans to create his boutique chocolate bars. The bars are featured at his one-man operation — Encore Coffee and Chocolate in Grandview.

Wendell Hooks Jr., spent 10 years catering parties and tailgates with his brisket, pulled pork and wings. His new brick-and-mortar restaurant, Off the Hook BBQ, opened this month in Gladstone — and almost immediately sold out.

Fifteen-year-old Halley Vincent has owned Seven Stories, a bookstore in Shawnee, for almost two years. But after the building was sold to a new owner, Vincent is now trying to raise money to move.

When a fan greeted Alan Wayne "The Pradagy" with a personal twist on a Buddhist phrase, it helped him through a dark time and inspired a T-shirt line. Now Pradagy has a thriving business with his Lincoln College Preparatory Academy classmate Andrew Beck.

By Tuesday, Kansas City-based Charlie Hustle was already selling out of its Super Bowl-themed shirts. Even though it'll be the Chiefs' fourth Super Bowl in five years, fans are still rushing to buy new merch.

The Ascend Cohort Program aims to generate a 30% increase of income for Black professionals and entrepreneurs over three years through a series of professional development seminars.

C Word Cakery owner Savannah Brady specializes in “good cake, bad words” — vintage-looking, classic, floral cakes that feature messages with swear words.

Vanessa Woods, a former professional ballet dancer, suffered an injury that ended her career. So she formed a company, Vitality in Motion, that brings movement classes to retirement communities, while also providing work for dancers when they're not performing.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas chose entrepreneur Kemet Coleman to represent Kansas City at the Young Men of Color Roundtable at the White House this week.