In the spotlight: Some enterprising women entrepreneurs from Kansas
#WomenEntrepreneurs #KansasBusiness #WomenInTech #BusinessLeadership #Entrepreneurship #FemaleLeaders #KansasCity
Kansas City, also known as The City of Fountains, is emerging as a premier business destination due to its stable workforce, affordable real estate, and strategic location. What truly sets Kansas City apart is its collaborative approach to economic development, which seamlessly crosses state lines, fostering a thriving business environment. This has attracted numerous
businesses, significantly boosting economic partnerships and growth. Kansas, ranked first in the West North Central region for business climate in 2021, offers substantial tax incentives, making it an ideal state for starting and growing a business.
One remarkable aspect of Kansas City’s business landscape is its nurturing environment for women entrepreneurs, particularly in the tech sector. Strong female leadership permeates the community, providing role models for women at all career stages. The city boasts a robust network for women in technology, offering continuous skill development opportunities and fostering a supportive ecosystem. This dynamic environment is paving the way for women in business to lead, innovate, and inspire future generations.
Kansas City’s entrepreneurial community is chock full of women starting businesses, leading ventures and guiding other business owners. And they’re not alone. Let us take a look at some enterprising women entrepreneurs from Kansas.
Here is someone who is multi-dimensional. Besides being an entrepreneur Diana Kander wears many hats.
She is a keynote speaker on curiosity and innovation and a New York Times bestselling author. Her background is unique! She is a serial entrepreneur who entered the United States as a refugee at the age of eight, she has launched and sold millions of dollars of products and services.
> Celina Tio, Founder, ANNX Spirits
Celina Tio is the founder of ANNX Spirits, which blends age old distilling techniques with new world sophistication. She’s also the owner of The Belfry, a great neighbourhood mainstay in The Crossroads.
Quite impressive is the fact that as an award-winning chef, she has been a top competitor on shows like Food Network’s “The Next Iron Chef” and Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters.”
As a chef, she’s won both local and national accolades, including – 2005 Chef Of The Year by Chef magazine and the James Beard Foundation’s 2007 Best Chef: Midwest.
> Dr Brandy Archie, Founder, Asks AMIE
Dr. Brandy Archie is the founder of Asks AMIE, a web app that helps caregivers keep their loved ones safe in a familiar environment. The platform matches patients with the right adaptive equipment specific to their physical and environmental needs.
AskSAMIE began as AccessAble Living, a service-based company in the Kansas City area. Dr. Brandy Archie wanted to assist the families she encountered, while working as an occupational therapist.
She discovered, throughout her work, that there was a significant need to assist those who were temporarily or permanently incapacitated or disabled. She wanted to make sure families got the help they needed to modify a home affordably and as quickly as possible.
> Katie Boody Adorno, Founder, The Lean Lab
Katie is the founder of The Lean Lab, and has been working in public education in KCMO since 2008. She is interested in exploring the unique intersections of urban education, creativity, community building, entrepreneurship, and the hospitality of Kansas City BBQ.
Seemingly always involved in the “startup” phase of organizations, she was a charter corps member of Teach For America Kansas City, a founding member of C.A. Franklin’s middle school team in Kansas City Public Schools, and a founding teacher at Alta Vista Charter Middle School.
> CaRessa Hutchinson, Founder, ModRN Health
CaRessa Hutchinson is the founder of ModRN Health, a virtual primary care solution with a web-based platform.
What does it do? ModRN Health is a healthcare services & technology company powered by nurses, physicians, and therapists across the nation to provide high- quality healthcare to groups. It gives subscribers access to a team of dedicated, specialized nurses, and resource partners to become the supplemental nursing provider for the National Emergency Tele-Critical Care Network.
> Darcy Howe, Founder, KCRise Fund
Darcy Howe founded KCRise Fund in 2016 – to fill a gap in strategic capital for local startups.vKCRise Fund fits within a broader long-term vision for the greater Kansas City region, which seeks to foster entrepreneurship, bring existing businesses to scale, and fully realize the Kansas City region’s potential.
KCRise Fund is a traditional venture capital fund which invests side-by-side with other institutional investors in early-stage companies, based in Kansas and western half of Missouri.
Investors in KCRise Fund include – corporations, university endowments, family offices, and prominent business leaders in the region. The firm currently has over $100 million in assets under management.
Avtar Madan
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
