IN Kansas City July 2024 by KC Media

TEN KANSAS CITIANS THAT ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE

BRINGING THE INDOORS OUT GARDEN ROOMS WITH A VIEW AN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH

MICHAEL BRANDT

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Shop the Block

Just over the state line in Westwood Hills, Kansas, there are some fun shopping and treat stops tucked away in one of the smallest shopping centers in the metro. e Shops of Westwood Hills feels like something out of a ctitious village in a Brit rom-com. Historic Tudor-style buildings hold a surprising variety of shopping destinations. One recent Saturday I made my way from one to another and lled my shopping bag.

First stop—and the oldest building in the center, built in the 30s—is Hi Hat Co ee. In a previous life, this was a Phillips 66 gas station. Don’t you wish all gas stations still looked like this? It was a hot day, so something iced was on order. Ca eine is anathema to me, so the kind barista suggested a Blended Bee made with decaf espresso (and milk and honey, of course). Yum!

Fresh owers for the weekend are a staple. While The Little Flower Shop is renowned for its lush arrangements, the rst thing you see when entering is a ower cooler lled with stems to go. A few fresh hydrangea blooms will brighten any room.

Vol. 7 | No. 6

JULY 2024

Editor In Chief Zim Loy

Digital Editor Evan Pagano

Art Director Alice Govert Bryan

Contributing Writers

Judith Fertig, Merrily Jackson, Cindy Hoedel, Damian Lair, Patricia O’Dell, Katie Van Luchene Jenny Vergara

Contributing Photographers

The Little

You don’t have to go outside for the next stop. The Little Shop Next Door is—next door. When e Little Flower Shop expanded to open a gift shop, they revealed a door that steps up to a shopping extravaganza. I have my eye on a Julie Vos link bracelet, but I’ll go back for the baby gifts, Vietri products, candles, some really cute caftans, and a perfect hostess gift.

Annedore’s Fine Chocolates, which wraps around the corner of the shops, is the source of my very favorite chocolate treat. If I had to limit my chocolate cravings to one thing, it would be their candied orange slices dipped in dark chocolate. Absolutely the best. But there’s a full array of handcrafted tru es, caramels, to ees, and more to satisfy.

Let’s skip e Flying Cow Gelato Shop for a moment. We’ll make that our last stop for good reason.

JSH Home Essentials is just that. An essential stop for delightful home-design textiles, paper goods, kitchen and garden accessories, botanicals, and such. ey carry the esteemed Bergs Potter clay pots. Handcrafted in Italy, these pots are miles beyond big-box store terracotta and the perfect container for my basil plant.

Within the large turret at the center of the shops is The Flying Cow Gelato Shop, a sister to Annedore’s. Gelato is richer and denser than ice cream. It’s made fresh daily here, with a wide variety of toppings to add if you’re not a purist. A scoop in a cup to be enjoyed at one of the outdoor tables is the perfect last stop.

Ron Berg, Corie English, Deborah Hancock., Aaron Leimkuehler, Paulina Otero

Publisher Michelle Jolles

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Sip in a stable. This month, you and a guest could land a twohour reservation in a private Stable Room at Serendipity Farm & Vine, a gorgeous 19-acre winery in Stilwell. e cozy Stable Rooms are just feet from the bar. You can customize your experience: Choose between a wine tasting or a co ee ight and a meat-and-cheese plate or a hummus plate. Enter by July 31 at inkansascity.com/the-magazine/ enter-to-win. Best of luck!

A match made in Westport. When you nish your milkshake with goodies stacked twice as high as the glass, step into your hazard suit, put on your safety goggles, and grab your paintbrush. Creative Culture Studio in Westport combines two very di erent types of stress relief. Read about our experience on inkansascity. com. You can nd it in the Arts section.

Up your appetizer game. Making a magazine like this sends our team all over the metro.

So, each month, we decided we’ll weigh in on our favorite local… something. is month, we’re talking appetizers. Starters.

Antipasti. Which pre-entrée bites keep us coming back? Add to your list with our July sta picks on inkansascity.com.

Our comprehensive dining guide has just about everything under the Kansas City sun. inkansascity.com/eat-drink/dining-

Bookmark guide to spice up your dining life. . Which pre-entrée bites keep us coming back? Add to

Last minute gift? No problem. Annie Austen opened her rst brick-and-mortar store in Zona Rosa last July. e store, which shares her name, sells the a ordable, tarnish-free accessories Austen is known for online. A year later, Austen is opening her second store just steps away—a new concept that’s “part party shop, part stationery store, and part gift shop.” Read the full interview in the Shopping section of inkansascity.com.

This Month IN KC

July

WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO SEE

Disney’s The Little Mermaid

July 9 – 14

Starlight Theatre kcstarlight.com

Sing under the stars. For the rst time since 2017, Ariel will nd true love at Starlight. Romance, fantasy, every color of the rainbow— if you’re looking for a show to delight the senses, this dazzling Disney classic is the one. Little Mermaid showings start at 8 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. If you can swing a weekday viewing, you might luck into a slow day at other attractions in Swope Park, like the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium, leading up to the show.

JULY SPOTLIGHT

Kansas City’s Lawn Party

July 21

KC Fringe

July 12 – 28 kcfringe.org

See the fringes. KC Fringe turns 20 this year, and as usual, its lineup is dizzying and sprawls across Kansas City. Performances, visual art pieces, workshops, and lms crop up in KC comedy clubs, theaters, even libraries and churches. Show titles include Sketches from the Fourth Dimension and y Hard: A Shakespearean Reimagination of Die Hard . Visual art ranges from jewelry to 3D paintings under black light. Anything you wander into is bound to be a conversation piece.

Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park and Theis Park at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art nelson-atkins.org/festivals

Relax in the sun. Spend dinnertime Sunday on the spacious lawns of Donald J. Hall Sculpture Park and eis Park. ere will be food trucks, yard games, activities for the kids, and live music throughout the evening to celebrate National Park and Recreation Month. Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard will be closed, so partiers can freely explore everything from the south face of the Nelson-Atkins Museum to Brush Creek.

Festival of Butter ies

July 18 – August 4 Powell Gardens powellgardens.org/ festival-of-butter ies

Admire natural beauty. Powell Gardens is a stunner on every visit, but it amazes during its annual Festival of Butter ies. at’s when the botanical garden, inside and out, is dedicated to the admiration of (and education about) some of the world’s most beautiful pollinators. Explore the Butter y Meadow and the Native Butter y Habitat to marvel at the winged beauties that call our region home. Find butter ies from the tropics in the visitor center’s conservatory. And for a unique family dinner or date night, consider the ticketed Cultural Night each Saturday, which showcase butter ies, food, and entertainment from around the world.

For Kansas City’s most comprehensive calendar of events, go to inkansascity.com/events

SUMMER ROADTRIPS & SUNNY DAYS

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Dinner Parties for Introverts

Email me with your entertaining questions, dilemmas, or triumphs at mjackson@inkansascity.com

by Merrily Jackson

OUR ENTERTAINING MAVEN ADVISES YOU ON THE ART OF HOSTING A TEENY-TINY DINNER PARTY

Hey, you. Psssst. You over there in the corner, avoiding eye contact. Yes, you, Mr. or Ms. Introvert. You of the still waters, running deep. You, the Quiet Beatle. Just FYI, we extroverts are on to you. We know how you eschew crowds. How your idea of perfidy is a big, noisy party. How you would happily spend a weekend—nay, a solid week—in your own rarified company. We even know you sometimes masquerade as one of us, and it burdens you mightily. But you, even you, occasionally crave conversation and companionship inside the sanctuary that is your home. Nothing big, mind you. A quiet little dinner with one or

photo by Corie English

www.nestkc.com

Entertaining IN KC

The Perfect End to Your Teeny-Tiny Dinner Party

NIGELLA LAWSON’S ONE-STEP, NO-CHURN COFFEE ICE CREAM

This one recipe is worth the price of Lawson’s cookbook, Nigelissima. You take four ingredients, whip them into a cloud, then freeze them. They turn into ice cream while you go on with your day. Makes one pint

1¼ cups heavy cream

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

2 tablespoons espresso liqueur

Whisk all the ingredients together until soft peaks form, and you have a gorgeous, caffe-latte-colored airy mixture, and then fill a one-pint airtight container, and freeze for 8 hours or overnight. Serve straight from the freezer. Note: I used an immersion blender to whisk the ingredients and it worked beautifully.

two friends, say. Perhaps your extrovert spouse has cajoled you into inviting another couple over for dinner. My introverted darling, this column is for you.

TWO’S COMPANY, AND SO IS THREE OR FOUR

Maybe it’s because I am from a large family that I’m drawn to the idea of the big, rowdy dinner party, of squeezing as many as will t around my table, of three conversations going at once. Only recently have I come around to the quiet charm of the teeny-tiny dinner party. By teeny-tiny I mean one couple, or a singleton or two.

For many—introverts and extroverts alike—this is the preferred way to entertain. In such an intimate gathering, you can’t hide behind small talk. If you invite friends who share your same oddball tastes in conversational topics (for we are all oddballs about a thing or two), it’s astonishing how the time can y.

FEWER GUESTS MEANS MORE OPTIONS

e teeny-tiny dinner gives you the chance to bust out Grandma’s Quimper Faience, of which you have only four place settings. It liberates you from your dining room. You can set up a snug little table in front of the replace or on the screened-in porch, or eat at the kitchen island. e tiny dinner is the best setting for a visit with a cherished someone you haven’t seen in forever. It’s also a marvelous way to celebrate the birthday or anniversary of close friends, to show them how special they are to you. When feeding so few, you can go all out on ingredients—Sa ron-Poached Lobster (email for this and any other recipes mentioned herein) and Chateau d’Yquem for all! Or not.

FANCY, LABORINTENSIVE COCKTAILS, ANYONE?

e key to a fun, casual party is how it starts. Even if you’ve got last-minute cooking to do, give guests an e usive greeting and—the very moment they arrive—a lovely cocktail and everyone will be happy. For bigger groups, I stay away from serving drinks that chain you to the bar all night with your cocktail shaker. But having a tiny guest list enables you to make a scrumptious, one-at-a-time cocktail like a Pom Pom, which demands fresh ginger and mint and six other ingredients and will feel to your guests like a mother’s hug.

TRY CRAZY NEW THINGS

I had a tiny dinner party—just two guests—and I had a last-minute thought to make an appetizer of boiled broccoli. It sounds cuckoo, but it’s so delicious. (I had just read Tamar Adler’s An Everlasting Meal on the underappreciated virtues of boiled vegetables.) You heavily salt a pot of water, bring it to a vigorous boil, throw in a couple of broccoli crowns and boil the sh*t out of them, until they lose their vibrant color and get so soft you have to remove them with a slotted spoon. Toss the hot broccoli in a bowl with a little butter and freshly squeezed lemon juice and serve immediately in

WE GRILL, YOU CHILL

Entertaining IN KC

small dishes—I used tea cups. Even people who don’t like broccoli will like this broccoli, and it was a fun way to start our little dinner. We gobbled it up standing around the stove, sipping our drinks. This also makes a fabulous, no-carb snack.

AGAIN WITH THE INSTANT POT? YES, REALLY

The Instant Pot, which I prattled on at length about several columns ago, is a useful tool for sumptuously feeding only a few.

My friend and former co-worker Terri Dady told me about a recipe she serendipitously invented one night after work. “I had a package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs that I found in my freezer and some orange juice and some Brussels sprouts” she said. “I threw them all together in my Instant Pot, tossed in some Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, and pressure-cooked them for 30 minutes, and it was really good!”

I tried this myself, and she was right. Except I used Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces, instead of Brussels sprouts. This tasty dish would be a simple entrée for a tiny, casual dinner. I’ve fine-tuned the recipe a bit. Email me and I’ll send it to you along with a couple of proven Instant Pot favorites perfect for three or four.

INA NEVER DISAPPOINTS

In her book Cooking for Jeffrey , Ina Garten gives us her truly excellent Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken recipe, which serves three and

only three. You’ll need to ask your butcher to remove the backbone of a four-pound chicken and butterfly it—they will cheerfully do this at Fareway Market. Do not attempt this recipe if you don’t have a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. This chicken would be sublime with roasted asparagus and my friend Bernie’s Smashed Potato recipe.

MORE KITCHEN TABLE DINNERS

I think I’m the only person left in the metro who doesn’t have a kitchen island; I have something you might remember called a kitchen table. When I have just a couple of people over, this is where we dine, and it is very, very cozy. I like to pan-fry individual Angus beef filets in my grill pan (four minutes each side over very high heat), and serve them with A-1 Sauce, Creamy Lemon Rice, and roasted asparagus. These same sides also work well with a pork tenderloin, marinated then roasted. One pork tenderloin is the perfect size to feed three or four.

Several years ago, I went on a mad spree of making, for small, casual gatherings, a Ruth Reichl recipe called Sort of Thai Noodles. It’s a stir-fry dish, a delectable main course with three kinds of protein, fun to make with one or two people assisting. The last minute of making it, when everything comes together, is so action-packed you almost have to have someone reading the recipe to you while you cook. An Asian cucumber ribbon salad is the perfect starter for this dinner. Yes, darling, of course I have the recipe. Email me. You introverts love email.

Our Man IN KC

by Damian Lair

dlair@inkansascity.com

: @damianlair #OurManINKC

A Century of Magic

In the autumn of 1923, Walt Disney arrived in Hollywood— from Kansas City—and founded what is now known as e Walt Disney Company. In tribute to 100 years of stories, creativity, and make-believe, the company envisioned Disney 100: The Exhibition. Kansas City has the honor of being among the rst three North American cities to host the exhibition (following Chicago and Philadelphia). It can be experienced exclusively at Union Station through November 30.

I was fortunate and honored to attend the premiere, held on the evening prior to the exhibition’s public opening. Following cocktails and live music, we gathered in Union Station’s Regnier Extreme Screen eatre for introductions by George Guastello, Matt Linski, and Mayor Quinton Lucas. We also had the distinct pleasure of hearing from Becky Cline, the director of the Walt Disney Archives, which oversees more than 65 million artworks, from which roughly 250 select pieces made their way to Kansas City via 16 semi-trailers.

Interspersed between illuminating stories and remarks, the Heartland Men’s Chorus delivered a thrilling Disney medley created for its recent Disney-themed concert production. e Fountain City Quartet also dazzled. Following the overview presentation, we enjoyed more canapes and cocktails—and later, desserts with Mickey and Minnie Mouse. As if I were surprised, I proved that one is never too old for a Disney mouse pic.

Finally, it was time for a rst glimpse of the exhibition. I will be returning for a more thorough, cocktail-free immersion, but my rst impression is nudging me to return sooner rather than later.

Chaos and noise melted away for enough time to re ect on the wonder of storytelling and the power of dreams. ey were humble dreams of a boy who grew up in Kansas City and ventured the halls of this very building—Union Station—while delivering newspapers. After time away, he returned to Kansas City and founded the precursor to Disney Inc.— Laugh-O-Gram Studio—before packing his bags for Hollywood. ere could be no more tting place—this building in this city—to celebrate a century of the immeasurable in uence of those dreams.

HOT GOSSIP:

What friend group’s table at Prime Social was sandwiched between Patrick & Brittany Mahomes and LeBron James?

Across ten themed galleries, the exhibit showcases rarely seen animation artworks, artifacts, and live-action lm costumes and props from iconic Disney classics. ere’s the “dinglehopper” from the live-action Little Mermaid, a wide array of Marvel character masks, the full Black Panther suit, a carousel horse from Mary Poppins, and numerous other impressive and familiar pieces. And for those who prefer to touch vs. look, there are 14 interactive displays and features. For anyone who’s been, it’s practically undisputed that Disney’s parks are among the most magical places on Earth. When you walk through their gates, it’s as if the world’s problems and complexities disappear. Somehow, visiting this exhibit achieved a similar e ect.

ALL IN THE GOLDEN AFTERNOON

RECENTLY, I traded the predictable green liquid lunch at my desk for a more proper midday meal. It was the inaugural “Fleur-ette,” a luncheon bene t for Powell Gardens.

Powell Gardens is Kansas City’s 970-acre, nonpro t botanical garden that hosts themed display gardens, a three-mile nature trail, seasonal festivals, and rotating exhibitions that highlight the changing seasons and Midwest spirit of place.

I hopped over to the East Crossroads event space for some prelunch wandering through the Powell artisan marketplace. ere, I caught up with Chuck Matney and Leslie Brett of The Little Flower Shop as they rang me up for a co ee table book that had been out of print until just recently. Book in hand, I hobnobbed with a rolling

Damian Lair with Minnie Mouse at Union Station’s Disney 100: The Exhibition.

Our Man IN KC

meadow of ladies in floral prints.

While seated for lunch, we were treated to a conversation by the notable designer and lampateur Christopher Spitzmiller. His classic ceramic lamps have graced the pages of every prominent design publication chronicling interiors as distinct as the White House (including the Oval Office). When not in his NYC studio, Christopher can be found at his farm in Millbrook, New York, gardening, beekeeping, cooking for friends, or tending to his chicken flock. These tales are captured in his book A Year at Clove Brook Farm. Given the charitable beneficiary at hand, Christopher walked us through the years-long process of building an extensive series of stunning gardens entirely from scratch—all featured in the book. It was a lively tale of missteps and successes, sprinkled with drop-ins from good friend and nosy neighbor, Martha (Stewart).

Our lunch, beautifully catered by Olive Events, was its own garden party. Pasta primavera with asparagus, cherry tomatoes, spring peas, squash, arugula, and grilled lemon chicken with pesto. All herbs for the meal and infused cocktails/mocktails were harvested at Powell Gardens, ditto for the honey. The tablescapes, complete with live florals and floral linens—in addition to guests’ floral wardrobes—created the perfect more-is-more floral explosion that felt positively perfect for a summertime lunch event. Salute!

‘QUE FOR A CAUSE

WHEN I RECENTLY received a spontaneous, same-day invite to ‘Que for a Cause, I thought—why not? After all, you know I love checking out something new and reporting back here.

‘Que for a Cause is an annual event created and organized by now-former Chiefs offensive lineman Mitch Schwartz. The event benefits a rotating batch of charities, which this year included Midwest Animal ResQ, Always & Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary, and Make-A-Wish (Missouri and Kansas). For this fifth iteration, current offensive lineman Creed Humphrey joined Mitch as a co-host.

The event itself is centered around two pretty swell things—the Chiefs and barbecue. Five top barbecue restaurants bring the ’cue (and lots of it), while a roster of aproned Chiefs players serve up piles of meat for hungry guests. There’s ample opportunity throughout to meet the players and snap photos. If you follow along on Instagram, my story included photo after photo of me cheesing with Chiefs royalty. My ultimate take-away: they are so much bigger in real life. For most players, my full height barely met their shoulders. On the plus side, I’ve never looked trimmer in photos. Winning . . .

Pulled pork, brisket, ribs, cheesy corn, baked beans—they had it all and then some. I also loved the jalapeño margaritas and the mini cupcakes from Nakia’s Sweet Sinsations

HOT GOSSIP:

Who jumped on a gala celebrity guestof-honor’s back, requesting a photo (backpack-style)?

A handful of those players I had the opportunity to meet included Xavier Worthy, McKade Mettauer, Trey Smith, Kingsley Suamataia, Ethan Driskell, Mike Caliendo, Irv Smith Jr., and fave linebacker, Nick Bolton. Aside from the celebrity factor—which was completely cool—the food was anything but an afterthought. It was the real-deal KC barbecue, sharing an equal spotlight with the football stars serving it. This year’s dynamite participants included: Q39, Blind Box, Char Bar, Meat Mitch, and Joe’s Kansas City

OVERHEARD

“I’m not taking fashion advice from a generation that grew up snacking on Tide pods.”

In addition to the food and other goings on, there was a robust silent auction, primarily focused on sports memorabilia, such as framed Super Bowl rings and signed jerseys. I also spotted a beautifully framed page of handwritten lyrics by Taylor Swift (not in attendance, btw). The event wound down with a live auction for each player’s signed apron. Friends Stacie & Garret Syler added even more to their growing collection, amassed over the years.

In sum, I had an absolute blast (on a sudden whim) and will be adding this event to my annual not-to-miss list—still leaving room for other summer spontaneity, naturally

ANDROGYNY, ETC.

COINCIDING WITH PRIDE MONTH, the latest installment of the pop-up Heidmann Art Salon was themed and titled Androgyny, Etc. I joined on the pre-opening night, amidst a gallery of guests as engaging and diverse as the art temporarily gracing the walls of the Crossroads Hotel. Scott Heidmann and Ken Petti had once again assembled a sublime collection of people and art.

Guests sipped on champagne, caught up with one another, and absorbed the spectacle around us. Ambient models wove through the crowd (androgynously dressed, of course). When ready for an ensemble change, they slid to an open corner and redressed in plain sight. The vulnerable act washed the room in intimacy.

Jessica Dressler made a guest appearance as Judy Garland, performing The Man That Got Away. Between that and the pulsating beats from SirQueen, it all felt delicately prideful. Singing, DJing, fashion, painting, photography, sculpture—every spectrum of the arts prism was reflected.

Held on roughly half a dozen occasions a year, I look forward to these salons. Though I did not make a purchase on this occasion, I noted several photographic works by Zack Petot. I need time to mull where one might live, and what I’d inevitably have to part with to create space.

Scott and Ken—I know how to reach you.

SPOTTED: Linda Lighton, JoAnne Northrup, Pam DiCapo, Holly Post, Alissa Wehmueller, Lisa Lala, Luis Mortera, Josh Dampf, Lorece Chanelle, Wolfe Brack

A DAY AT THE LAKE

WHEN APPROACHED by some wonderful people at Jackson County Parks + Rec about spending a day at Lake Jacomo on one of their new pontoon boat rentals, I (perhaps surprisingly) accepted the invitation with glee.

Lake Jacomo is a picturesque lake (I’m told it’s the county’s prettiest, and I have no basis to argue) that’s roughly 20 minutes from downtown—near Blue Springs. At 970 acres, it is also Jackson County’s largest lake.

So, on a recent Saturday, I organized a group of ten friends for a day outside the city proper, to float in the middle of what blissfully felt like nowhere. As I was packing coolers, towels, etc. it occurred to me how “heading to the lake” had always mentally equated to a dreaded hours-long, winding drive. What a paradoxical delight to be at our pre-lake lunch stop in mere minutes!

We all met at Jacomo’s Hunger Shack, on the recommendation of a friend in-the-know. Admittedly, I’d pictured. . . a shack. . . that probably sold live bait alongside deli meat sandwiches. What we found instead was a practically new restaurant that managed to conjure an old, diner-like charm. Amongst us we had the insanely large pork tenderloin sandwich, hot chicken, BBQ bacon burger, fries, onion rings, cheese tater tots—and pie. Key lime pie, peanut butter pie, chocolate cream, pecan—there were coolers full of pie. Hardly the ideal choice for anyone concerned about a svelte boatbod, but we lived for all of it. Chef’s kiss!

After a lunch for champions, we headed for the marina to retrieve our boat. Ours was a sparkling new ten-person pontoon, but they also have four-person Jon boats available for rent. I’ll note that a full-day rental on weekends is a modest $325, which struck me as rather economical for an entire day of fun, split among friends. And an outright steal vs. owning a boat!

Once we were off (btw, much easier to drive than imagined), we leisurely puttered around the perimeter of this surprisingly tranquil lake. Despite the beautiful summer Saturday, it never felt busy. The lake was primarily occupied by graceful sailboats, serenely gliding along, minding their own business. Motorboats permitted are capped at 25 horsepower, meaning you won’t experience any boats blazing by. What makes Lake Jacomo particularly unique, though, took me some time to discern. The lake lies within Fleming Park— essentially an undeveloped area. Unlike most large lakes, where shorelines are solidly lined with homes and private docks—there are none here. Where the water ends, a lush green woodland begins. It felt more like we were in the Pacific Northwest than anywhere in Missouri. As it turned out, Jacomo was not only a respite from the city, but from the commotion on other lakes.

OVERHEARD

“I think I just saw

Occasionally, we’d spot a little cove surrounded by wilderness and drop anchor for some swimming. We had our music, our bevs, and plenty of leftover pie. Before we knew it, the day had swiftly evaporated. We spent more time boating than I expected anyone to desire, but it felt like no time had passed at all. The truest sign of a good time came amidst conversations on the drive home. “Maybe we could do this again?”—they asked. Yes, I think we could.

So, KC—where do you want to go? XO

Ciley Myrus.”

Jason Pollen

ARTIST, DESIGNER, EDUCATOR ANSWERS FOUR QUESTIONS

by Judith Fertig

You never know where your creative life is going to take you.

That is especially true for internationally acclaimed artist Jason Pollen.

“I have been drawing, painting, collaging, designing, and stitching since I was a child,” Pollen relates. “Elaborate sandcastles were the first source of inspiration.”

Pollen studied and worked on the East Coast and in Europe, where he was on the faculty at the Royal College of Art in London as well as Parsons and Pratt in New York City. He came to the Kansas City Art Institute in 1983 and where he became Chair of the Fiber Department in 1997. Pollen left KCAI in 2010 to focus on his studio work.

“My art journey has been characterized by experimentation with process and materials, and the search for a compelling communicative visual language,” he says. “I have often felt as if I were a witness, watching my

photo by Paulina Otero

Arts & Culture IN KC

hands create something from nothing, then compelled to breathe as much life as possible into whatever has revealed itself.”

Pollen’s work is in many public and private collections, including the Smithsonian, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Nerman Museum. He has designed sets for the Kansas City Ballet, for Haven (2005) and Carmen (2007).

Currently, he is professor emeritus at KCAI, president emeritus of the Surface Design Association, and is an American Craft Council Fellow. Most recently, his work has been exhibited at Leedy-Voulkos Art Center.

Pollen has also designed fabrics for a who’s who of institutions and fashion houses, including Chanel, Dior, Museum of Arts and Design, New York City Museum of Contemporary Art, Jack Lenor Larsen, Jim ompson ai Silks Ltd., Liberty of London, Donna Karan, and Oscar de la Renta. jasonpollen.com

INKC: Your work involves mixed materials, collaging, and ﬁber. How did you get interested in incorporating fabric?

Jason Pollen: I only veered away from exclusively using paint on canvas when I moved to Paris in the 60s. To support myself as a painter, I mastered textile design. Seeing the translation of designs on paper transformed into patterned fabrics led me to an interest in and fascination with ber-art processes. After years of printing, painting, and stitching

on silk, cotton and linen, I began and continue to use mixed-media approaches in the work.

INKC: You have designed fabric for major fashion houses. How and why did that come about?

JP: As a textile designer living in Paris, fashion designers, (Chanel, Dior, Yves St. Laurent, et. al.) were those most interested in what I was creating. As a speaker of several European languages, I was able to sell designs to the fashion and home furnishing designers and manufacturers in France, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland.

INKC: Where do you ﬁnd materials for your work?

JP: All of my collages are created using scraps of the multitude of fabrics and sketch book pages I have created over many decades.

INKC: You came to Kansas City from the East Coast. What has surprised you about living here?

JP: I moved here from New York City in 1983 to teach at KCAI. What surprised and delighted me most was the vibrant art and classical music communities here. ose communities have evolved to an astonishing degree since I came here. What also surprised and saddened me was the separation of the Black and white populations. is to my mind has not appreciatively improved.

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Arts & Culture IN KC

by Judith Fertig

FREE TO BE. . . A 1960S FASHION REVOLUTION

WISH YOU COULD WEAR mini-skirts, go-go boots, bell bottoms, and a macrame vest, channeling the best of Cher?

A new exhibit opened at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center showing 1960s fashion in all its glory. Curated in partnership with the Fashion Merchandising and Design Program at Johnson County Community College, Free to Be features garments from the department’s extensive collection.

To further enhance the exhibit, a series of talks will highlight national and world influences on fashion.

On June 27, Stuart Hinds, curator of special collections and archives for the libraries of UMKC, launched the lecture series with 1960s LGBTQ Activism in Kansas City. “Many believe the struggle for gay and lesbian civil rights began with the Stonewall Uprising in June of 1969,” says Hinds. “However, activists had been working for nearly 20 years prior to that pivotal event to make inroads to securing full citizenship in the United States. Queer individuals in Kansas City played surprisingly important roles in that movement, while simultaneously advancing the cause locally. This talk will focus on those details as well as the vibrant LGBTQ social scene in Kansas City in the 1960s.”

On July 18, Dr. Matthew Warner Osborn, an Associate Professor of History at UMKC, traces the development of The Psychedelic Revolution of the 1960s and how it influenced fashion. Visit jcprd.com/1836/museum for more information.

PORTRAITS OF CHILDHOOD: BLACK DOLLS FROM THE COLLECTION OF DEBORAH NEFF

A NEW EXHIBIT is open at the National Museum for Toys and Miniatures on the UMKC campus that features 135 handmade Black dolls dating from around 1850 to 1940, as well as almost 60 period photographs, daguerreotypes, and paintings depicting the dolls posed alongside both children and adults.

For nearly a century, African American women designed and made rag dolls for their children or the children they looked after. Over 25 years, Connecticut attorney Deborah Neff built up a collection of these little works of art. Where many people dismissed such objects as domestic artifacts of no great importance, Neff felt otherwise.

A selection of more recent Black dolls from the Museum’s collection provides additional perspectives on the exhibition’s themes to consider. Little is truly known about this vast collection of Black dolls, allowing space for viewers to create their own narratives and inspire dialogue around the themes of race, gender, and identity.

For more information, visit toyandminiaturemuseum.org

E L E B R A T I N G S E A S O N S

KANSAS CITY’S PREMIER PERFORMING ARTS PRESENTER

Arts & Culture IN KC

by Judith Fertig

TIVOLI UNDER THE STARS

WHAT BEGAN BY NECESSITY during the pandemic, has now become a summer fixture with Tivoli Under the Stars at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art.

On Friday evenings throughout the summer, Tivoli will screen films that allow you to sit back on the lawn (bring your own chair or blanket) and enjoy a movie under the night sky.

Beginning at dusk on July 26, you can catch the 1991 Point Break, starring Keanu Reeves and the late Patrick Swayze and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Point break is a surfing term referring to the place where a wave breaks against a point of land, sort of a rock and a hard place.

Keanu Reeves is the novice FBI agent sent undercover to investigate a group of surfers suspected of robbing banks. They’re known as the Ex-Presidents because they commit the crime while wearing masks of U.S. presidents. Patrick Swayze, playing the surfer leader Bodhi, finally escapes to Australia with the FBI in hot pursuit, surfing to his death on the lethal wave of a “50Year Storm.”

For tickets, visit nelsonatkins.org.

MELISSA ETHERIDGE AND JEWEL AT STARLIGHT

WHO SAYS you can’t come home again?

Celebrated Leavenworth native Melissa Etheridge begs to differ. She joins forces with Jewel for a much-anticipated concert at Starlight at 7:30 p.m. on July 31.

As part of a 19-city North American tour, the two-time Grammy winner Etheridge and the four-time Grammy nominee Jewel will bring their unique singer-songwriter style of music.

Jewel will perform music from her latest studio album, Freewheelin’ Woman, as well as fan favorites like You Were Meant for Me, including her Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum debut album, Pieces of You, and her multi-platinum follow up Spirit

Etheridge will also perform massive hits such as I’m the Only One and Come to My Window

For more information and tickets, visit kcstarlight.com.

ReeceNichols proudly welcomes Trent Gallagher, a former founding partner at Compass Realty Group. As a top 1% agent in Kansas and Missouri and a Kansas City Real Producers 40 Under 40 honoree, Trent brings unparalleled expertise in luxury real estate and Table Rock Lake properties. Along with the local brand power of ReeceNichols, Trent’s skill and resources ensure an exceptional real estate experience tailored to your needs.

TRENT GALLAGHER

Direct: 913.439.7846

Office: 913.851.7300

trent-gallagher.com

5000 W 135th St

Leawood, KS 66224

MILLION-DO

IIn 2020, ReeceNichols and Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) formed the Gold Key Project, a partnership perfectly aligned with ReeceNichols' mission of helping families find home and RMHC's mission of providing a home away from home for families with hospitalized children.

n 2020, ReeceNichols and Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) formed the Gold Key Project, a partnership perfectly aligned with ReeceNichols' mission of helping families find home and RMHC's mission of providing a home away from home for families with hospitalized children.

Four years into this partnership, there's much to celebrate—a milestone of $1 million raised, to be exact. Each home bought or sold by Gold Key agents translates into a $100 donation covering one night's stay for a family at RMHC. This collective effort has now provided 10,000 nights of support for families when they need it most.

“The hearts of the Gold Key agents are so huge. They, too, understand the importance of helping out families with sick kiddos,” said Tami Greenberg, CEO of RMHC-KC.

“We are so grateful for this partnership; it allows us to continue to take care of families so they can completely focus on their sick child.”

The scope of the Gold Key Project has expanded rapidly since its inception—from 38 agents raising $31,000 in 2020 to yearly donations now exceeding $300,000. These funds have also enhanced RMHC's facilities, including a new family room in Johnson County at Overland Park Regional Medical Center and significant renovations at RMHC’s Longfellow House, marking the first such updates in 15 years.

For families like Destiny Meyer's, RMHC’s impact is life-changing. Her daughter, Chevi, diagnosed with cancer, required constant medical attention—something made manageable by the provisions at RMHC.

LLAR MILESTONE

LLAR

MILESTONE

Gold Key Project by the Numbers

2020: $31,000 raised, 310 nights for families

2021: $272,900 raised, 2,729 nights for families

2022: $342,040 raised, 3,420 nights for families

2023: $300,525 raised, 3,005 nights for families

2024: $53,535 raised, 535 nights for families (and counting!)

“We would have been in a very, very hard spot if not for Ronald McDonald House,” Meyer said. “I had to quit my job to take care of Chevi and get her to her appointments. I didn’t know how I was going to afford to stay in hotels or pay the gas money to get back and forth two hours. It was a huge stress relief, and then I found out there was food and dinners. It was a godsend.”

To commemorate the achievements of ReeceNichols Gold Key agents, RMHC recently unveiled a dedicated heart at the Longfellow House—a symbol of their relentless compassion and commitment.

Looking ahead, the partnership is poised to continue breaking barriers, driven by a shared mission to keep families close during their most challenging times.

The Gold Key agents are not just selling homes—they're crafting a legacy of hope and support that reverberates throughout Kansas City, promising many more nights of peace and healing for families in need.

SUMMER SHINE

Think sparkling silver, gold, and bronze fashion is strictly for fall and winter? While the luster of metallic clothes and accessories is always right for that holiday special event, these days this trending texture is showing up in more casual wear like coated denim, too. Wear it head-to-toe in a suit if you’re brave or let silver ballet ats peek out from your wide linen pants for a single pop of shine.

TWD linen pants with metallic stripe, $350, and tuxedo-style blazer, $895, available at Halls (Crown Center).

Staud Crescent Moon shoulder bag, $295, available at Clairvaux (Shops at Fairway and Hawthorne Plaza).

Dolce & Gabbana small top-handle leather bag with

Michael Lo Sordo chainmail tank, $490, available at Blackbird Collection (Crossroads).

Je rey Campbell sandal, $130, available at Alysa Rene Boutique (Park Place).

Sam Edelman Miranda Mary Jane ats, $130, available from Anthropologie

detachable shoulder strap, $2,145, available at Halls

Classic & Modern

Designer Katy Sullivan loves combining classic pieces with unique and unexpected elements to add personality to a home.

But above all, she enjoys the process of getting to know her clients, designing to their style, and creating a space that reﬂects their lives and personal aesthetic.

Come explore your style with Katy at Madden McFarland.

GLOW UP

It’s the height of summer, and everyone loves a sun-kissed glow. No matter how much we soaked up the sun’s rays in our youth, we know better now, right? Right?! And we all know that tanning beds are verboten, too. Your skin will thank you with fewer wrinkles and age spots and less skin cancer as you age. So, until the pale visage of Victorian England is fashionable again, what’s the best way to get the look? ere’s a myriad of products to bronze you up, but don’t forget prep. Exfoliate rst, whether with a chemical—either AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) or BHA (beta hydroxy acid)—or physical—granules (scrubs), brushes, or bu ng pads. Moisturize before any application, too.

Lastly, and most importantly, wear sunscreen!

Josh Rosebrook tinted Nutrient Day Cream SPF 30, $155, from Welwythn (The Shops of Prairie Village).

St. Tropez Self Tan Express bronzing mousse, $46, at

Sephora

Pure Skin Scrub, $11, available pinklippscosmetics.com at

Skinbetter Science Sunbetter Sheer SPF 56 compact, $65, available at The Grove Spa (Brookside).

Glow Baby Brightening Peel Pads with 10% AHA + BHA, $16, at Ulta Beauty

by Judith Fertig

Struggling with Neuropathy? Spinal Cord Stimulation May Bring Relief

A

CONVERSATION WITH HALEY WARDRIP, MD, ADVENTHEALTH PAIN SPECIALISTS

Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when your blood sugar (glucose) is too high. Either the pancreas stops producing insulin or the body cannot use the insulin it produces. Too much blood glucose and you could develop heart disease, vision problems, and nerve damage.

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common complication associated with diabetes. Nerve damage can lead to symptoms such as burning, tingling, and numbness, which can be painful to the feet and hands. These symptoms are often difficult to treat even with tight glucose control. Other undesired consequences include poor wound healing and poor sleep.

Conventional treatment for DPN involves nerve medications, opioids, or topical creams that can have many unwanted side effects. These limited treatment options sometimes leave patients feeling hopeless in finding pain relief.

Now, there is a promising new treatment option: spinal cord stimulation.

Haley Wardrip, MD, pain medicine physician and anesthesiologist with AdventHealth Pain Specialists, shares how this new approach is helping Kansas City patients find relief from DPN issues.

What is Spinal Cord Stimulation?

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a new, non-medication therapy approved for the treatment of chronic pain including diabetic peripheral neuropathy. An easy way to think about it is like a pacemaker for pain. The system consists of a small battery connected to two thin electrical leads that are placed close to the nerves in the epidural space, and there is a small amount of electricity delivered, which helps interrupt the pain signals traveling from the spinal cord and nerves to the brain. This, in turn, provides pain relief that is patient-controlled via a handheld device. With

more pain control, patients are free to do the activities they love without being tied down or reliant on medications.

How does SCS work?

This therapy involves a two-step process, starting with a seven-day trial followed by an outpatient procedure for permanent implant. The trial is a “try before you buy” step where, in a clinic setting, a physician places temporary leads and attaches them to an external battery that is taped to the skin. This allows patients to see if SCS works for them and relieves their pain.

If the patient obtains at least 70 percent pain relief during the trial, the next step is proceeding with permanent placement of the SCS device, which consists of a battery connected to electrical leads. This procedure is done in a short outpatient visit. Most SCS devices are MRI compatible, and come as either chargeable or nonchargeable options, with the battery needing replacement every five to ten years.

How effective is SCS for DPN?

The treatment of DPN with spinal cord stimulation has been proven to reduce pain scores as well as improve health-related quality of life. Additionally, some patients report improved sensation to their previously numb area, such as the bottom of the feet. Improved sensation and reduced pain can allow patients to live more active lifestyles. Many patients successfully treated with SCS can reduce their nerve medications and some even come off of them completely. Most DPN patients have been on nerve medications for years and their symptoms have gone unnoticed due to chronicity, but we want these patients to know that there is a treatment option for them, and we can help.

Is SCS covered by insurance?

Spinal cord stimulation is approved by most private insurance companies as well as Medicare for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

How do I get started with SCS?

Talk with your primary provider or whomever manages your diabetes. This may be a PCP, endocrinologist, or podiatrist. From there, you will need a referral to a pain manage ment clinic such as ours, where we will consult with you and discuss your symptoms to see if you are a good candidate for SCS. The patient who will best see relief from this procedure is someone who experiences the symptoms of tingling, burning, and numbness and who has hemoglobin A1c under 10. AdventHealthKC.com/ PainSpecialists

Haley Wardrip, MD,

Built to care. Driven to cure.

Kansas City’s newest home for state-of-the-art cancer care is here. The AdventHealth Cancer Institute offers everything patients need all in one place – including leading-edge technology with the first and only MRIGuided Radiation Therapy in the KC region. Here, you’ll find a dedicated team that champions you, your cancer journey and the human spirit. Visit CancerCareKC.com to learn more.

Cancer Institute

Let’s Go Outside

VINTAGE AND ANTIQUE OUTDOOR FURNITURE ENHANCES PORCH AND PATIO

Ilost one of my vintage French outdoor chairs to a tree limb mishap last month. ey aren’t impossible to nd, but it’s more than a trip to a box store. I may be one chair down until we wrap up our move to a new house. [Ed. Note: See what she did there? She and her husband did buy a new-to-them house!]

Some of my most rm conversations during our moving process have been reminders that none of the vintage and antique garden furniture or ornaments are staying. I cannot part with the garden plaques that I purchased from Christopher Filley, who had purchased them from the late Kansas City designer and antique dealer Jack Rees. I

would carry the faux bois bench, which happens to be the same design as George Terbovich’s outdoor chairs, to the house on my back if I needed to. Nearby is a small owl garden ornament from Pear Tree Design and Antiques that was a birthday gift to my husband. Owls are part of our story.

My children remind me that not everyone is interested in having old, rusty things, and I’m certain they are right. But I have plans for an old soapstone sink. It’s obvious that it will be a perfect spot to trim owers from the existing and future beds in the new house, and a reassuring reminder that caring for homes and gardens is a worthy endeavor.

Vintage and antique garden furniture and ornaments can be found at (shown left to right) Christopher Filley Antiques, Pear Tree Design & Antiques, and Green Door Antiques.

OCEAN SCENT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

THE LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS at Mersea have launched a new partnership with Pura, which creates smart di users that can hold two scents. e best news? You can control the di user and scent from your phone. In addition to carrying the di users, Mersea had developed fragrance smart vials in their Saltaire, Sea Pines, and Coconut Sugar scents.

MERSEA + PURA IS CLEAN SCENT DREAM TEAM

e di users are 4.7-inches by 4.75-inches by 4 and are available through Mersea as well. mersea.com

The Pura Smart Di user starter kit comes with two of Mersea’s bestselling scents, Coconut Sugar and Saltaire, $89. Fragrance re lls, including Sea Pines, are available for $17.

by Patricia O’Dell

Lighten Up, I’m Just Kidding

LIGHTING FROM CHILDREN’S BRANDS PLAYS WELL WITH GROWN UP INTERIORS

When I was in the stage of decorating children’s rooms, I chose a lot of products that weren’t speci cally designed for children. But I found that occasionally products that were designed for children made an easy transition to spaces designed for adults. It seems that is more and more the case now.

While I can easily see the Pottery Barn Rope Knot Table Lamp and the Kids Acrylic Collectors Lamp in a child’s room, I think they would be just at home in the rest of the house. I feel the same about the Julia Berolzheimer Ruched Linen Floor Lamp and the West Elm Hadley Sconce.

But the lamp that I really love to see make the leap is the West Elm Kids Flower Floor Lamp. As simple as a child’s crayon line drawing, it is nothing short of enchanting. Perhaps the playroom will be its boldest move, but I guarantee it will bring a smile wherever it sprouts.

Clockwise from top left:

Acrylic Collectors Lamp, $169, Rope Knot Table Lamp, $169, Monique Lhuillier Garden

Texture Table Lamp, $199, and Julia Berolzheimer Ruched Linen Floor Lamp, $183, all from Pottery Barn Kids. Hadley

from Pottery Barn Kids. Hadley

Sconce, available in white and blue, $149, and Flower Floor Lamp, available with a red or white ower, $329, both available from West Elm Kids.

MARK SIKES FOREVER BEAUTIFUL

THIRD BOOK IN SERIES COMING SOON

KANSAS CITY loves nationally recognized interior designer Mark D. Sikes. His lecture at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Committee of 100 event a couple of years ago was both a sell-out and a big hit. e patron party was held in a Mission Hills home of his design that was recently featured in House Beautiful e home is quintessential Sikes—a symphony of shades of blue and white with just a dash of black to provide a de ned line. Rumor has it that he’s working on other residences around town. Here’s hoping we’re able to take a peek on a magazine’s pages or online soon.

In the meantime, you can preorder Sikes’s new book, Forever Beautiful: All-American Style All Year Long, with photography by Amy Neunsinger. If his rst book, Beautiful, and his second, More Beautiful, are not in your collection already, you can purchase them now to ensure you have the complete trilogy.

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Michael Brandt IN CONVERSATION WITH

words by Cindy Hoedel photo by Deborah Hancock

The producer and screenwriter behind Arthur the King, a heartwarming film based on a true story about an adventure racer who adopted an injured stray dog during a grueling competition, has lived in Los Angeles since 1995 but considers himself a Kansas Citian through and through.

Michael Brandt was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and lived in Overland Park from kindergarten through high school. After graduation, Brandt went to Baylor University, where he earned a bachelor’s and an MA in communications studies with a concentration in film. At Baylor, Brandt met Derek Haas and the two began writing screenplays together, finding early huge success with 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003, then 3:10 to Yuma, Wanted, and The Double, which Brandt also directed.

In 2012, Brandt and Haas created the still-running NBC drama Chicago Fire, which gave rise to Chicago P.D., Chicago Med, and Chicago Justice Brandt recently spoke with IN Kansas City by phone from his office in Los Angeles, where he shares a home in the Brentwood neighborhood with his wife and four of the couple’s combined six children. The conversation touched on his decision to leave his successful partnership with Haas, the origin story of Chicago Fire and projects he would love to shoot in Kansas City if the right incentives were in place.

What are the key things you remember about growing up in Kansas City?

It was the suburbs in Overland Park in the ’80s, so I look back really fondly about how easy it all was. I mean, it doesn’t feel easy when you’re 14-years-old and going through puberty and all the issues of junior high necessarily, but it was really great. My family was really strong. I went to Shawnee Mission South High School and had lots of good friends. Back then you didn’t lock the door and life felt relatively simple, and there were no cell phones in all the best of ways. So all my memories of Kansas City are really good. I still have lots of friends from there. My mom lived there; she recently passed away, and my dad died when I was a freshman in college, but I still have

tons of ties to Kansas City, and I’m there all the time.

Chicago Fire, which you co-created and co-wrote, is still a successful show. Why did you leave in terms of writing and show running after five seasons?

The truth is when I packed up a U-Haul and moved to Los Angeles, the dream was to write and direct movies. And while I love network television, and I loved it growing up, that was never part of the game plan. At the time I had a writing partner, and we had been very successful and got some movies made, and an agent called and asked how I felt about TV. I was lukewarm about it, because I didn’t really know how to run a show. It’s a lot of work, especially at the network level. We’re talking 12 years ago, so streaming really wasn’t what it is now. And so, running a writer’s room and making 22 episodes for a network schedule was not something I’d done before. It felt like a different skill set than writing features, so initially I wasn’t that interested. But the sales pitch from the agent was, [executive producer] Dick Wolf wants to do a show about firefighters, he wants to hire a features writer to write the pilot and that would be the extent of your responsibility. He said you don’t have to have anything prepared, he’d really like to sit down with you and talk about it.

So, we had the meeting and the agent had done his job perfectly because I think Dick’s going to pitch me, and Dick thinks we’re coming in to pitch him. The agent was just trying to get us in a room together. So, Dick says, “Well what do you got?” The truth was, I had nothing. Off the top of my head—because I’d lived in Chicago before Kansas City, and my dad had grown up there so I still had family in Chicago and spent time there—I said, “We could set it in Chicago because there’s an uptown and a downtown and lakes and rivers and bridges and it’s cinematic, and it burned down in the 1800s so there’s an ethos there about fire. LA doesn’t have enough weather and 9/11 was hanging over anything you did in the rescue space in New York, so I just threw out Chicago. At the time, I didn’t know the difference between a fire truck and a fire engine—there is one.

What is it?

[Laughs] A fire engine has water and hoses, and a fire truck has ladders and rescue equipment.

Thanks. So, you didn’t know a lot about firefighting yet but you pitched Chicago as the setting.

Yeah. The other thing I said was, Law and Order is very much caseof-the-week. It’s just plot. And you rarely spend a lot of time with the characters at home. There’s a body, and two detectives show up with notepads and try to figure out who done it. And I said, thinking this would probably end the meeting, I wouldn’t want to do fire of the week. I would want to do Hill Street Blues in a firehouse.

And he said, “Well I started as a writer on Hill Street Blues and that sounds really good.” I didn’t know Dick had written Hill Street Blues. So, all these things fell into place, and he said, “Go to Chicago and figure out the show.”

We met a guy in Chicago who introduced us around to a bunch of key members of the firefighting community. We came back and pitched the show to Dick and NBC and next thing you know we’re making the pilot in Chicago and then, you know, to cut the story short, I look up five years later and had created four shows and was making 60-some episodes a year, and I found myself kind of serving as a zookeeper to a bunch of animals that never got full. Your job was to just keep feeding them and they are never going to get full. That wasn’t what I wanted to be when I grew up.

The great thing about doing a show in Chicago is we’re all there— the actors and producers, I would write, I would direct, and we’re working with real firefighters and real hospital doctors so there’s a real family feel to it all. Chicago during the polar vortex wasn’t great but apart from that, it was a great experience and a tough one to let go of. But part of what I do is to make myself happy and part of what I do is to challenge myself. I felt like it was probably time for another challenge.

As a screenwriter and showrunner, how do you avoid tensions with directors or actors who want to take the story in a direction you think is not right?

Well, I’ve directed a lot. I direct the finale of Chicago Fire every year. And part of being a writer is being the collaborator and the filter that everybody’s ideas ultimately will come through in figuring out how to appease everybody but mostly service the story.

Certainly there’s a skill in writing, and I think what a lot of writers don’t realize is that if you’re successful in your writing, the skill that you’re going to have to develop is listening to people and openly considering what they’re saying. And if it makes the show better, you use it, and you take credit for it. And if it doesn’t make the show better, you have to figure out a way to make them understand why you think it doesn’t work. It’s certainly a little political.

Ultimately what I found as a writer is, every good idea wins, but more often than not the person who built it from the ground up, meaning the screenwriter, knows what’s best. That doesn’t mean he always has the best ideas, but he knows what’s best for the show. It’s like being a parent with your kids. In your gut you kind of know what is best. And you can take everybody’s opinions about how you should be raising your kids, but then you have to follow your instincts.

In adapting the screenplay for Arthur the King from the book, which is a true story, how did you decide which elements to keep and which to change? For example, why did you make the protagonist from Colorado instead of from Sweden? In the first draft of the script, I did make him from Sweden, and it was much closer to (professional adventure racer) Mikael Lindnord’s life. But once Mark Wahlberg signed on (to play Lindnord), there was no reason to try to shove Mark into a Swedish accent—that’s going to cause him and the production months of pain and agony when I could just type “He’s from Colorado.” For the story, it doesn’t matter where the guy is from. So that’s one of those [changes] that you’re willing to give.

How involved were you during the filming of Arthur the King?

I was very involved. I was the producer, and we shot in the Dominican Republic right after Covid, when things kind of opened up in January of 2021. Prior to that I’d done some scouting in Puerto Rico with a different director who ended up not doing the movie. I had been looking for locations, and then I was there for the rehearsals and prep and the beginning of the shoot.

It would have been great to have stayed there the whole time, but Covid protocols were strict and when the production was off in the jungle doing its thing, everybody was happy with the script, and there was not a lot of reason for me to still be there. And the fewer people the better when every day everybody tests and one positive test means the whole thing shuts down.

How does writing by yourself compare to your long writing partnership with Derek Haas?

Well, it’s interesting, because I had spent pretty much all of my writing career working with him, and it was great, and we really were an example of the sum being better than the parts. We excelled at different things and in different areas of writing. And when you’re first in Los Angeles just trying to make it in the business, you hear a lot of noes. Those noes are a little easier to swallow when you’re working with a partner, whether it’s the subconscious of “I can secretly blame my partner for the fact that we didn’t get that job.” [Laughs] I’m joking about that, but you kind of rise and fall together, which is helpful.

I think with maturity comes a difference in the kinds of stories you want to tell. I was moving away in my heart of hearts from the more purely action-oriented stuff and more into the character-oriented stuff. Not to speak for Derek, but that’s where I was. And I was in a place where network television was a grind, and it is a grind, and it can be a great grind but ultimately, I was considering, “Is this what I’m going to be doing the rest of my life?” That isn’t what I wanted to do, and it is what he wanted to do, so we gracefully went separate ways.

I find writing by myself more satisfying. Like, I can point to Arthur the King—the second I heard about the story I said, “That’s a movie and I want to do it,” and I don’t know if Derek would have felt the same way. When you’re on your own, you can just follow your gut.

You directed The Double in 2011 and you directed several episodes of the Chicago shows but you did not direct Arthur the King. How satisfying is just screenwriting to you versus the satisfaction you get from directing?

Directing is hard. It’s a grind of the most miniscule and seemingly unimportant decisions that have to be made that all add up into one massively important decision. Pretty much my emotional routine is, “I just want to write this. I don’t think I want to direct it.” And then the minute we get to production I’m like, “Wow, I really should have directed this.”

Why?

Not because I don’t think the director is doing a good job, but just because it’s fun to see the story all the way through. When you’re on set directing something that you’ve written, you feel very free in the moment with the actors to say, “You know what? Let’s just cut these four lines of dialogue. Who cares? You guys just look at each other and tell the story that way.”

If you’re directing somebody else’s material, certainly on a television show, you don’t really have that right or that opportunity.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a couple of features for Netflix. One is a boxing movie based on an original idea of mine and Jamie Foxx’s. We have a major actor attached to it who hasn’t been mentioned yet so I don’t think I’m supposed to talk about it. It’s not that I don’t want you to know the information, but I don’t want to jinx it. [Laughs] I’ve been working on that script all morning.

I just finished up another feature for Netflix, and I have a television show starring Henry Golding from Crazy Rich Asians, based on some Dean Koontz books, that we are very close to going forward on.

Kansas City is not competitive right now with Chicago and Atlanta as far as tax breaks for the film industry, but if it were, do you think it has conditions that could make it attractive as a place to make TV shows and movies in the future?

That is the perfect question because I have another project that I have spent a lot of time on in Kansas City the last couple of years. It’s a TV show that I would love to do in Kansas City.

In just the first five years alone between the three shows in Chicago, we spent close to a billion dollars in Chicago. When we started shooting there, one of the first conversations we had was with (former mayor) Rahm Emanuel, who, putting tax breaks aside, knew the value of the continual flow of production in the city is a continual flow of money into the city. He said, “I’ll give you guys whatever you need in terms of access.” So, whether it was, “Hey, we need to close this street down,” or “We need some help on this L-train line,” he helped open the door. In return, we’ve moved a hundred people from various places to Chicago who now live there full time, and who knows how many crew members we’ve hired. We spend a lot of money in the city. It’s not just hiring people, it’s restaurants and hotels and there are even tours now of places that Chicago Fire has burned down over the years. There is a

nice tax break in Chicago, and I think it’s easy for people to say, “Why should our city be giving money back to these rich Hollywood people?” But that is not actually what’s happening.

When I made The Double we made it in Detroit, because at the time Michigan had a really, really, healthy tax break, and the summer that I made that movie there, there were five giant features all shooting in Detroit. When that tax incentive went away that year, production stopped. And we were filling hotels. That’s not tax money leaving to go into Hollywood pockets, that’s Hollywood money coming into hotels and restaurants.

I would like to do the same for Kansas City. In addition to the TV show, I also have a feature I’m very interested in that takes place in Kansas City. I know there have been people hard at work there, whether it’s on the film commission or some news people who have been pushing for more tax incentives, and I’d like to come in very soon swinging very wildly and trying to get more of that.

What appeals to you about shooting in Kansas City?

I love the place. It’s not just my hometown. I legitimately love what the city’s doing and what it’s done and the way it’s grown. My wife is from California, and we’ve spent a lot of time in Kansas City. Every time we go there she’s at the point where she wants to buy a place there. She genuinely loves the people and everything about it.

It’s the perfect size city to do production in. It kind of has everything but it’s not so big that the permit process and all the things you need to do in a city like Los Angeles or New York, it wouldn’t be as hard as that. Selfishly I just want to be there because I want to be back home.

Interview condensed and minimally edited for clarity.

Arthur The King, starring Mark Wahlberg, was written and produced by Michael Brandt.

Innovators Influencers AND 2024

MEET 10 PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN KANSAS CITY

From fruit flies to racehorses, a bullied teenager, a nurse’s care, and a harp named Romeo. Those divergent elements are touchstones for a few of the individuals profiled in this year’s list of people you want to know.

But, as in years past, they have more in common than you may think. While just two of them are involved in the medical field, they’re all involved with the wellbeing of our community.

We offer a snapshot of each honoree along with answers to our question: How would you describe Kansas City to someone who’s never been here? Their answers reflect pride for what’s working well along with hopes for what can be better.

words by Katie Van Luchene photos by Ron Berg

From left to right: Dr. Kausik Si, Lina Dickinson, Melanie Bolin, Adib Khorram, Calvin Arsenia, Alana Henry, Mason Paoli, Ashley McClellen, Harold Smith Not pictured: Shanita McAfee-Bryant

AND

FOOD BEVERAGE

SHANITA MCAFEE-BRYANT

When people call Shanita McAfee-Bryant a role model, she deflects the description. “I want to make what I do more about the students and what they need from me.”

The Kansas City native opened The Prospect, a culinary training center, in 2019 to address food access, nutrition education, and job training in the Eastside area struggling with poverty.

Her own path in the food industry had its challenges. A teenage mom, she took classes at Johnson County Community College where Black female chefs were rare. She opened a restaurant and competed on The Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen , where her skills and personality got her noticed.

All the while, she counted on the support of her dad, her own hero, a man who had built a successful janitorial services company employing 300 workers. She learned a fierce work ethic from him. He passed away in 2018; a

mural with his portrait is a reminder of his love and support.

She realizes not all of her students—whom she calls Prospects—are blessed with the kind of encouragement she got from her dad. So, she and her team work extra hard to provide that sometimes tough love. “We tell them that if you’re willing to work hard, you can make it. But it’s not easy.”

“We can teach skills,” she says. “The gumption and passion are up to them. Some people don’t even know they have the grit necessary for this work; our job is to dig deep to bring it out.”

McAfee-Bryant has several examples of Prospects who have blossomed through the 16-week training. “I see a litany of barriers,” she says, “including difficulty reading. I didn’t know I had dyslexia as a kid. There wasn’t a name for it back then. Imagine following a recipe if you can’t comprehend the words.”

Addressing the whole person is baked into The Prospect’s philosophy. “We provide stress management training, social skills, financial and nutritional education, and career planning. We don’t just graduate our Prospects then kick them out of the nest. We stay connected, always asking ‘What do you need to be successful? Would social services or day care help?’”

The Prospect houses The Spot, a 1,200-square-foot culinary space featuring a café, coffeeshop, and grocery section that accepts SNAP benefits. Food is prepared by the Prospects to provide hands-on training. “They also participate in catering and special events, and frankly love to be out of the place to interact with other people all over town.”

Not that it’s not a comfortable place to be. The Prospect is in a handsome, renovated limestone building at 2000 Vine Street. The dining area has cozy sofas, long community tables, and an inviting vibe. On mornings, groups of customers hang out, savoring lattes and croissant breakfast sandwiches or popping in for pastries for the office. Next door is Vine Street Brewing, Kansas City’s first Black-owned brewery.

When describing her hometown, McAfee-Bryant says “It’s emerging. We’re finally letting go of our identity just tied to barbecue. And there’s a wealth of culinary talent here; you don’t have to go to the East or West Coasts to gain recognition.”

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

ASHLEY MCCLELLEN

Ask any nurse why he or she chose their profession and chances are the first answer will be, “I want to help people.” It most assuredly won’t be, “I love doing paperwork.”

McClellen spent 20 years in leadership roles in the healthcare industry where she was struck by the staffing crisis. “It was a growing dilemma before, during, and after the pandemic,” she says. “Hospitals just didn’t have enough staff to care for patients safely.”

So, in 2023 she launched MedCurate, which uses an app to match nurses to available hospital shifts, giving the clinicians more flexibility while helping avoid burnout. “In doing so, we help these nurses stay in health care longer and reduce hospitals’ turnover.”

MedCurate, which McClellen compares to an Uber for healthcare, also can reduce hospitals’ expenses significantly. She says staffing can represent 85 percent of a hospital’s

operating costs. “Our program can save about half the cost of traditional staffing agencies.”

And while McClellen initially thought the platform would appeal mostly to millennial-aged nurses simply because of their comfort level with technology, she’s been pleased to see the full spectrum of clinicians and providers coming on board. “These may be nurses at the end of their careers who are saying, ‘Maybe I don’t want to pick up three 12-hour shifts or work so many nights and holidays. I can pick up two 12s and won’t be tempted to leave the profession I love.’”

MedCurate started with one hospital and has now added a second one, as well as a surgery center and a home health company, with more growth on the horizon.

McClellen describes Kansas City as an engaging and innovative community that welcomes locals and travelers to experience the best the Midwest has to offer.

CALVIN ARSENIA MUSIC

Calvin Arsenia is in a good place—literally. The singer, songwriter, and author is the director of the Greenwood Social Club on the city’s Westside, a title he inherited from its founder, Peregrine Honig, last December. Arsenia shows reverence for the space that’s both cavernous and cozy. Sofas and floor pillows invite guests to relax and listen—really listen—to performers.

“I wanted to offer a place to play where you can hear a pin drop,” he says, “unlike restaurants and bars where music isn’t the main focus. These are often people who’ve devoted their careers to their craft. They deserve to be appreciated.” In this space he calls a shrine to art and beauty, Arsenia has hosted an eclectic mix of experiences, including yoga, tango, exotic dance, folk, indie rock, jazz, and tonal music.

As for his own style, it’s genre elusive. “Over the years I’ve tried on different phrases to try to describe my work, and it just doesn’t capture it. I just follow my bliss to where

it takes me.” In early July, he’ll follow it to an arts and music fest in Scotland.

The first time he visited the country was on a missionary trip with his Kansas City church. Over two years, he began to perform during open mic nights, several times a week. “It was a freeing experience,” he recalls. “My background is from a choral and classical lens, so I had to figure out how to be authentic and make mistakes. I heard musicians who were technically perfect, but the ones I was drawn to were open to showing their vulnerability.” It was also there that he began lessons on the instrument he’s become known for, the Celtic harp. In 2019, Arsenia raised $30,000 through gifts and donations to buy his own harp, which he named Romeo. “I was getting ready to perform at the Kennedy Center when the world shut down. So it was Romeo and me through the pandemic.”

During that time, Arsenia created a podcast with a friend, New York-based comedian Justin Randall. “I thought the world was ending, so I might as well be completely honest about being queer and growing up in the Evangelical church.”

That led to his book of poetry, Every Good Boy is Fine, which he says is very intimate and sometimes embarrassing. “When we’re honest with our most scary thoughts, that’s when we learn that our emotions are universal.”

Whether Arsenia is performing music from his albums Cantaloupe, LA Sessions or his latest, Paradise, it’s a theatrical experience. “We live in a unique time where we can listen and learn and draw from so many sources both musically and stylistically and visually.”

How would he describe Kansas City? “What I tell people who haven’t been here is that it’s a lively, supportive community that’s welcoming to different areas of the arts. Midwest kindness goes a long way in Kansas City.”

INTERIOR DESIGN AND

ARCHITECTURE

MASON PAOLI

Mason Paoli wears many hats in her role as an interior designer for a number of prestigious projects all over the world.

Over the past few months, she switched from a stylish red Derby Day hat to a Stetson.

The different head gear reflects two of her most recent projects as the interior design director for Populous, a design firm headquartered in Kansas City.

Paoli has provided interior design direction for Churchill Downs for ten years. “But gearing up to the 150th anniversary of the Kentucky Derby was really special,” she says. “Horse racing is my favorite spectator sport. It combines fashion, sports and fun. It’s a party filled with history.”

This $200 million project reimagined the heart of the horse-racing center, the Paddock. “It’s where they bring in the horses, saddle up, and parade around. It’s such a big part of the two-day event.” The Populous team was tasked with peeling back many of the prior renovations to reveal the iconic twin spires. “It was transformative,” Paoli says. “Now

patrons can experience the thrill taking place in the saddling stalls but horses aren’t bothered thanks to an expanse of two-way glass.”

Any project begins with intense listening. “Our approach isn’t based on my tastes or my ideas,” she says, “but what we can mine from the client. We ask, ‘how can we bring out the most special aspects from our clients’ stories?’ because that’s what makes each project unique.

“It’s all about making the experience memorable for the guest.” That wow factor came into play with the recently renovated BMO Centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. How do you make a convention center with one million square feet feel special to each guest whether they’re attending a business conference or the Calgary Stampede, the largest rodeo in the world? “We approach each project with curiosity, but this one took us on a more interesting journey than most,” she says. “It’s like a giant state fair with spaces that meld different cultures together; the Indigenous camps, the story of the stampede. It doesn’t look or feel like a typical convention center; it’s light and airy with wood accents, local art and a 70-feet tall fireplace made of blackened steel as a reference to a major area industry.

“The success of any design solution depends on the intimate human experience,” she says. “While we’re known for large-scale venues, we were thrilled to design a new prototype for Chicken N Pickle. The idea was to elevate the experience while capturing the spirit of the brand as they grow their business. And they’re growing like crazy.”

She treats all assignments the same whether it’s a $20 million or $500 million project: “It’s about a human being coming into a space and experiencing our design. You want people to come away remembering the connections they had with others in that environment.”

Paoli doesn’t have to go to Calgary or Kentucky to experience world-class entertainment. It’s right here in Kansas City, which she describes as “unexpected. People from out of town are still surprised by our arts, food, and culture and our diverse neighborhoods. It’s a pillar of Midwestern values.”

ARTS

HAROLD SMITH

Before it was sold, the painting on the wall outside Harold Smith’s space in Studios, Inc. in the East Crossroads served as a sort of shingle stating, “Art Sold Here.” Aggressive strokes of acrylics covered the 60-inch by 48-inch canvas, one of Harold’s 2022 Men of Color series. The eyes were haunted and haunting.

The painting reflects what the artist is best known for: powerful images of men and women, bold slashes of paint defining the features. In his Pain and Privilege series of collages, strips of newspapers bisect the faces: headlines of Martin Luther King’s assassination, illustrations of enslaved families.

It follows Smith’s own mantra and what he tells students and other artists: Do epic shit. “I don’t remember who said that, but the message is a resounding truth,” he says. “I tell other creatives starting out, ‘do you.’ If I can pick out who you’re trying to emulate, it’s time to start over and find your own unique voice.”

It’s been an evolution for him; his first exhibit was in the

Kansas City, Kansas Library in 1999 and while the pieces were smaller with more details, they were clearly his. Nearly 25 years later, he just took down his Covers show at the Kansas City, Missouri Library. The work included faces with Art in America headings. Leather jackets feature faces as well: one is a grotesque image painted on top of a woman’s profile seen from the back. Victorian cameo meets the boogeyman. Bike helmets are decorated with CDs, nails, colors of dark purple and black, and glitter—an ode to his fascination with post-apocalyptic movies.

Every inch of his studio space is covered with stacked paintings or tubes of paint and cans filled with brushes. He admits he would drown if he didn’t have fellow artist and studio assistant Vivian Wilson-Bluett to organize things. “It’s a beautiful pool and she’s my lifeguard.”

He’s grateful to have the large quarters. Thanks to corporate and individual sponsors, Studios, Inc. provides space to mid-career artists for three years. Smith is in his third year with an extended period.

He’s planning an exhibition there in November, titled Blacktackular, described as an immersive experience with a glimpse into films that have influenced his work from the 70s to the 90s. Smith will host weekly movie nights beginning in October leading up to the event. “My goal is to entertain and draw people in, including those who’ve never imagined themselves at an art opening.”

To describe Kansas City, the artist says that unlike New York City, it’s a collection of small communities, each with its own flavor. “Westport, Zona Rosa, Rosedale; whatever you’re looking for, you can find it.”

LITERATURE

ADIB KHORRAM

Adib Khorram’s life is an open book. His bio includes several of his interests, including figure skating and taking guitar lessons, activities that started when his editor said he needed a new hobby. “That conversation came about when I sold my first novel, Darius the Great is Not Okay, in 2018. Before that, writing was my hobby and now it was my job with a capital J.”

The book’s protagonist is a 15-year-old outsider, which mirrors Khorram’s identity as a gay, Iranian American male attending public schools in North Kansas City in the 80s, graduating in 2002. At that time in our country’s political history, the years were especially challenging for a kid whose family had immigrated from the Middle East.

“Add to that the normal life of a teenager. Our body is changing, our brain chemistry is changing. Those are such formative years. I think I still carry wounds from that time. The good news is it’s fodder for therapy and great fodder for writing novels.”

His follow-up book, Darius the Great Deserves Better, is Khorram’s way of saying what he wished he’d heard back then: “Don’t settle. I think brown people and queer people are told by the world that they don’t deserve love, deserve friendship, or deserve a life that’s as good as their peers.”

Khorram transitioned from the young reader market to adult fiction with Kiss and Tell, where the central character is the only gay member of a touring boy band. His latest, The Breakup List, is a romantic comedy where a brother and sister both have a crush on the high school’s senior swim captain.

The theater setting comes from Khorram’s life. “I was into technical lighting design and had a great job working for an event production company. Then the pandemic hit and. . . no more events.”

That’s when he began to write full time. “I never expected this kind of success,” he says. “I’m grateful, especially for the chance to talk to teenagers about books and reading and writing.”

His spate of back-to-back successes masks the years of hearing no from books he tried to get published. “I spent two to three months reaching out to agents to try to find a connection,” he remembers. “Once I had the right people in my corner, Darius sold atypically fast. I think I was at the right place at the right time with the right genre of youth readers.”

His voice is an important one, especially with the number of kids being bullied or dealing with mental health issues. That’s why he was troubled to learn some of his books had been banned. “I think every school has children who are queer. Or are immigrants. Who’ve experienced sexual assault or who have a family member in prison.

“I think it’s the height of moral cowardice to say any child should feel unwelcome.”

How Khorram feels about Kansas City is the direct opposite. “I tell people who’ve never been here that we’re a welcoming, thriving city with a thriving arts and cuisine culture. If you can get past the terrible weather (he says during a rare June heat wave), it’s a great place to live.”

NONPROFITS

ALANA HENRY

Alana Henry laughed when she found handwritten meeting notes from when she was a young girl helping her parents at the community group they founded. “There’s my little 9-year-old cursive signature,” she says.

As the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council’s executive director, her role has come full circle. “Activism, volunteering, giving back is the heart at who I am,” she says, all traits she learned from her parents, Alan and Yolanda Young.

She learned additional skills while owning a career management company and being operations manager for the Young Family Farm.

Did she have to work twice as hard to prove she earned her positions despite her family name? “Yes. That’s just a fact of life. But through my insistence on being transparent and honest in daily communications it’s been a positive transaction.”

“It all starts with a code of ethics in how you conduct your personal and business lives,” she says. “I keep at the forefront what I learned from my parents—to be honest, respectful, and

to really care about the people I’m serving and the community that I live in.”

While the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council depends on volunteers for many of its programs, Henry treats it like a true not-for-profit business with a board of directors and defined leadership roles.

Yet many of the management duties fall to her. “I’m pretty adept at juggling,” she says with a laugh. For instance, grant writing takes a great deal of time. “It’s so specific,” she says, “so I spend a lot of early morning and late-night hours tackling the dozens of forms.” Despite some rejections, she’s had a lot of wins, achieving $1.5 million in grants to date.

She’s also proud of the community’s Garfield East Senior Cottages that have been developed through several phases. “We’re facing an affordable housing shortage here in Kansas City and across the nation,” she says, “so this is a huge plus for our neighborhood.” They also provide minor home repair services for seniors, making it easier for this key demographic to remain in their residences.

Addressing the needs of the entire community is at the center of what the organization does, despite its challenges. There are around 6,000 residents in all, living between 31st to 47th streets and Paseo to Prospect. Being split by 71 Highway and 39th Street, there are four quadrants.

“It’s important that we make each quadrant feel like part of one big community,” she says, “whether they’re near the Nutter Ivanhoe Community Center or not.” One way that’s done is through a robust calendar of events and programs, including music for youth, tech training for seniors, nutritional education and market day at the Young Family Farm. Her four daughters are continuing the path she began when she was a little girl: helping on harvest days, giving tours and engaging with neighbors. “These are life lessons that will take them far.”

What Henry finds most rewarding about the city she loves are the “amazing people doing work to make this city stronger.”

HEALTHCARE

DR. KAUSIK SI

Our first kiss. A favorite aunt’s perfume. The smell of a campground fire. Memories— good or bad—define us, are “part of who we are as humans,” according to neurologist Kausik Si. And apart from triggering an emotion, memories can mean life or death.

Take the simple fruit fly, one of the tiny beings the scientist is studying as a means to help treat brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s. “Fruit flies must remember where the food is, who to mate with, who to avoid. Consciousness, the relationship between prey and predator, which is part of every living thing, is what intrigues me the most. A fruit fly may seem so far from us, yet you can get deep inside to see how memories work.”

Of the two parts of any disease—the cause and the cure—Si’s work tackles the cause. In the case of Alzheimer’s, there have been multiple studies on proteins that clump, called amyloids. Si’s groundbreaking study, called “Tuning memory by altering amyloids,” asks what if this clumping isn’t always a bad thing?

Perhaps, he surmised, if instead of removing all the clumps, we can remove just the bad ones and keep the good ones.

He and a scientist partner earned an award from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which was founded in 2015 by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan.

The funding organization has the same goal as the Stowers Institute where Si works: to expand our understanding of the secrets of life and improve life’s qualities through innovative approaches to the cause, treatment, and prevention of disease.

Asking the big questions, the “what ifs” is “the beauty and joy of science,” says Si. “Finding something you would never imagine.”

As a professor of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, that’s what he tries to impart to his students. “By realizing we don’t know everything, it frees your thinking. As humans, we’re drawn to the unknown, to that element of surprise. It’s why we go to the jungle or to the moon.

“It’s the same with scientists. I try to teach the wonders of life and nature.”

Si is grateful to be associated with the institute founded by the late James E. Stowers, Jr. and his wife, Virginia Stowers. “It’s a remarkable gift to Kansas City.” He says this while overlooking a gift from another philanthropist, the Kauffman Gardens, from his office window.

It’s tied to how he describes Kansas City. “It’s a place to think, to reflect and appreciate the gift of life and nature. Before moving here, all I knew about Kansas City came from one of my favorite writers, Calvin Trillin. I soon learned there was so much more.”

FASHION

MELANIE BOLIN & LINA DICKINSON

It’s hard not to covet Mersea founders’ lives. Follow Bolin and Dickinson around the world and watch the business partners laugh as they oversee a photo shoot in Tulum or open bottles of Champagne to celebrate a significant number of orders, go for a gelato run in Monopoli, or dine on wood-fired pizza in Sorrento.

Their lives are a travelogue and thankfully, every item they sell—from the iconic Catalina slub tee to the Atlas dress—is ideal for packing into a carry-on bag. Versatility is at the heart of every design. Bolin says, “We want every piece to find its way into the next outfit.”

And another key element; the clothes are flattering on everyone. “That’s a conscious effort,” says Dickinson. “When we get samples in, we try them on everyone from a size 0 to 12, 14. We make adjustments to make sure they feel and look good on a variety of shapes.” And ages. No doubt somewhere right now there’s a teenager borrowing an Amalfi cap-sleeved sweater from her mom’s closet.

How does it feel when the founders see someone wear-

ing one of their designs? “It’s thrilling,” says Dickinson. “We’ve seen our travel wrap at the Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris and, closer to home, at Earl’s Premiere in Brookside.” Bolin adds, “It’s hard not to run up to them and say thanks!”

The wildly popular line began in 2013 when the two businesswomen brought hand-poured candles and the now iconic travel wrap to the American Royal Tablescapes event. Women loved the scents and the chic packaging and the brand took off. “Wholesale came first,” recalls Dickinson, “then trade shows before we started getting into retail stores.”

In 2016 and 2017, the duo realized they wanted to cater to their customers directly. With a redesigned website, they were able to share their love of travel with images of photo shoots. Dining alfresco in Granada, Spain, meeting with the market bag partners in Morocco—all while encouraging customers to create their own bucket lists of exotic places to explore.

A little more than a decade after selling its first candle, the Mersea brand has found its way into our wardrobes, suitcase, and nightstand.

Product development continues as do travel plans; Portugal in September, then Mexico City. So, what do they wear while traveling? “I’m usually in one of our Catalina sweaters,” says Bolin, and Dickinson is a devotee of the denim line. “Our jeans are just so great,” she says. “We launched the line about a year ago. They stretch, so I love them for long flights or just hanging out at home.”

Dickinson even offered a scoop for an upcoming item. “We’re adding knit pants to go with our tops this fall, starting with black and navy and a gorgeous hazelnut color.” “We’re really pumped about this,” adds Bolin. “Our Catalina lover will feel like she’s wearing a cute little set.”

So how do these two partners describe Kansas City to people they meet around the world? “I always say they’re the friendliest people who are very supportive and loyal,” says Dickinson. “There’s also a level of pride and tremendous work ethic here,” says Bolin. “We have awesome women in our office. There’s just an extra spark in Kansas City.”

What's Not to Love?

words by Jenny Vergara

11 OF THE BEST SANDWICHES IN KANSAS CITY. GO ONLINE TO INKANSASCITY.COM TO SHARE YOUR FAVORITE

Apopular lunch time staple, the humble sandwich may have gotten its name from England’s 4th Earl of Sandwich, but he was certainly not the first person to have enjoyed one. The truth is that ever since man had fire to bake bread, there have been sandwiches being made and enjoyed.

The first record of a sandwich was in a text describing a rabbi in Jerusalem during the first century B.C. taking a bit of unleavened matzah bread and putting Paschal lamb and bitter herbs on it before eating it.

From Middle Eastern flatbreads stuffed with spreads and bits of cold meat eaten during the late 17th century in the Ottoman Empire to the highly processed peanut butter and jelly smeared between two slices of white bread and stuffed into children’s lunchboxes across America, it’s hard to ignore the simplicity and portability of the humble sandwich.

But there’s another side to the sandwich we must take a moment to celebrate, and that is the innate creativity and customization that happens when one gathers the ingredients for a sandwich and ends up inventing a sandwich of your own creation. Maybe you are limited by what you have on hand, but the combinations are endless. Even if you started the sandwich-making process intending to make a simple BLT, the minute you add avocado slices to that sandwich it becomes something different—a BLAT, if you will.

Like most cuisines tied to specific places, many of the sandwiches

we enjoy here in Kansas City came from the people who settled here, in addition to the ingredients that are raised or grown in the Midwest. We are spoiled with the rich, delicious tapestry of flavors, each with its unique taste.

What’s better than a Southern-style tomato sandwich in the summer, made with thick slices of homegrown tomatoes, right from the garden, and a swipe of Duke’s mayo with plenty of salt and black pepper between two slices of white bread and eaten over the sink? But going out for sandwiches, we’re looking for something more. Like a sandwich so bombastic, wild, and out there we must try it. Or on the flipside, something so classic and pure that it’s the standard bearer, which is why this list floats between new sandwiches and iconic ones.

It should be noted that, for purposes of this article, I didn’t count burgers or barbecue as sandwiches, although one could certainly argue the case for both. They are both so plentiful here that I thought I’d save them for another day. Bottom line, they each deserve their own list. I would also have absolutely added Italian Sausage Co. in Gladstone to this list, but since they’re already featured in this month’s issue on page 98, I gave the spot I would have given to any of their sandwiches to another sandwich to share the love.

This list is not definitive or the final say. We have far too many good sandwiches here for that. But you know what your favorite sandwich in Kansas City is, and I look forward to hearing about those, if only to add more to my own list.

Red Kitchen KC: Cien Por Ciento Mexicana

TORTA DE CHORIZO CON HUEVO

Known for her delicious authentic Mexican dishes, the chef and owner of Red Kitchen: Cien Por Ciento Mexicana, Alejandra de la Fuente, makes a mean Mexican breakfast sandwich that’s worth getting out of bed. Her Torta de Chorizo con Huevo starts with a soft bolillo roll that’s split in half, buttered, and tossed on the plancha to warm. It’s then filled with a combination of fiery Mexican chorizo sausage, scrambled eggs, freshly chopped tomatoes, onions, and avocado. Catch her at her new location, directly across the street from the Overland Park Farmers Market. Hit the market, then grab this sandwich to reward yourself.facebook.com/ redkitchenkccienporcientomex

Providence Pizza in Grandview PANUOZZO

The Panuozzo, or pizza sandwich, is a new addition to the Providence Pizza menu in Grandview. It was created by the chef and freshly minted partner in the business, Benjamin Wood. This sandwich is a pizza crust folded over like a calzone and baked in the oven, creating the perfect pocket to stuff with a rotating mix of weekly fillings. When it made its de but, it was filled with fresh spring-mix greens, soppressata salami, charred onions, roasted red peppers, fresh burrata mozzarella, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and a swipe of nut-free pesto. providencepizza.com

Tree Hugger Kitchen

REUBEN SANDWICH

Married couple Phil Newman and Mandy Mor ris-Newman have turned Tree Hugger Kitchen, their popular vegan food-truck business, into their first brick-and-mortar space in Kansas City’s Northland, serving a truly delicious se lection of vegan appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, burritos, and tacos. Try their clever and crave-worthy version of a Reuben sandwich made with corned jackfruit, sauerkraut, Follow Your Heart-brand gouda cheez, and housemade Thousand Island dressing on toasted marbled rye bread, a wonderful take on this deli classic. treehuggerkitchen.com

XO

NORI EGG SALAD SANDWICH

The newest hi-fi listening lounge has just opened on the Westside. XO was created by Noah Manos, a designer and builder from Denver, Colorado, who wanted to build here in Kansas City. He managed, with the help of Westside neighbors and local architects William and Ellen Trakas, owners of Trakas + Trakas, to turn an old garage into an intimate spot for listening to deep cuts while enjoying a cool cocktail, glass of natural wine, or Japanese sando. The dayto-day operation is a partnership between the Denver duo Mitch Foster and Will Minter, who launched a similar concept there called ESP HiFi, and local James Beard-nominated chef Johnny Leach, who developed the menu. A chill spot to sit and enjoy the vibes and enjoy a drink with Leach’s delicious Japanese egg salad sandwich on milk bread or deep-fried pork loin. xohifi.com

Succotash

MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH

If the French toast at Succotash is good enough for Travis Kelce’s pregame meal, then it should be good enough for fans of the Kansas City Chiefs. Get it in sandwich form with owner and chef Beth Barden’s take on a Monte Cristo sandwich, a beautiful brunch-time favorite. Barden’s version steps it up with sliced ham and dreamy sage Derby cheddar melted on rye French toast. Or try the Maggie Cristo, where you’ll get ham, goat cheese, and delicious lingonberry jam on sourdough French toast. No one can beat Succotash for their swift service, colorful décor, and decadent brunch offerings. It is the neighborhood spot we all wish we had in our hood. succotashkcmo.com

The Peanut BLT

Since 1981, Melinda Kenny has owned and operated the original location of The Peanut at 5000 Main Street, where she ran the kitchen, and her late husband, Rich, ran the bar. Her son, Aaron Whiteside, later joined her, and he helps run both the downtown location and the original bar, both of which are still owned and operated by family. In operation since 1933, it’s said to possess the oldest continual liquor license in Kansas City and is also rumored to have served as a speakeasy, complete with blacked-out windows, during Prohibition. Today, The Peanut is better known for serving up ice-cold beer and hot and spicy Buffalo chicken wings to local sports celebrities and laymen alike. But the bar’s true claim to fame is its BLT, a sandwich that Kenny made famous by making it just the way her dad did—with loads of crispy bacon, a bit of chopped red onion, shredded cheddar, and a generous sprinkle of black pepper. peanutkc.com

The Brick

FLUFFERNUTTER

There are sandwiches that are such childhood cannon and so relished when eaten as an adult, that they may actually help you age in reverse when you eat them. Peanut butter and jelly is one of those sandwiches. And for many, so is the fluffernutter that owner of The Brick, Sheri Parr, and her team happily serve with a side of carrot sticks, because you have to get a vegetable in there somewhere. You’ll get two pieces of toasted wheat bread, carefully smeared with creamy peanut butter and marshmallow fluff, and for a little extra you can add bacon if you’d like. But really, why gild the lily? Feed your inner child a fluffernutter sandwich at The Brick. thebrickkc.com

Lucky Boy’s

FILLET-O-FISH

As someone who is a loud and proud lover of a certain burger chain’s filet-ofish sandwich, I can assure you the one at Lucky Boy’s in the West Bottoms is a million times better. Besides, here you can get an adult beverage and a killer soundtrack with your fish sandwich. You’ll enjoy a battered and deep-fried cod fish filet, topped with a melted slice of American cheese and ice-cold shredded lettuce, served on a steamed and toasted Farm to Market Bread Co. egg bun with a schmear of remoulade sauce and fries on the side. That, and a gin and tonic, would probably be my “last meal” by choice. instagram.com/luckyboyskc

Romeito Cuban Restaurant

SANDWICH CUBANO

For those who have been searching for a good, pressed Cuban sandwich, look no further than the family-owned and operated Romeito Cuban Restaurant in Olathe. A traditional Cuban roll is sliced open, brushed with mustard, and filled with ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, and pickles before it is buttered and pressed flat on a hot griddle. They don’t stop pressing it until the roll is crunchy on the outside, the ingredients are warm on the inside, and the Swiss cheese is melted. There isn’t another sandwich that’s as satisfying to eat as a Cuban sandwich done right. romeitocubanrestaurant.com

The Pizza Man

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN BEEF

If you have a soft spot for hole-in-the-wall joints or are looking for a taste of Chicago right here in Kansas City, then you need to make your way to The Pizza Man in Lenexa. Open since the late 1980s, The Pizza Man, located in a small strip shopping center next door to Grinder’s in Lenexa, is known for its delicious thin-crust Chicago tavern-style pizza, Chicago dogs drug through the garden, and authentic Italian beef sandwiches. Once a best-kept secret from the south side of Chicago, the Italian beef sandwich is the result of the influence and innovation of the Italian community that’s now the neighborhood’s culinary claim to fame. You’ll get a softly steamed French roll split and stuffed with thinly sliced roast beef dripping with seasoned au jus and topped with pickled giardiniera. Whether you get the sandwich dipped or not, it’s delicious all the same. If you know, you know. thepizzamankc.wordpress.com

Mother Clucker

COMEBACK FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH

In the mood for something spicy? You choose the level of heat you can handle at Mother Clucker, a locally owned Nashville hot chicken spot. With locations in the Parlor food hall in the East Crossroads, downtown Shawnee, and soon Leawood, the move here is to get their comeback fried chicken sandwich at a “Cluck Yeah” level of heat or higher, and a Cap’n Crunch milkshake to tame the heat. It starts with a battered and fried chicken breast that’s juicy on the inside and crunchy on the outside topped with slaw, pickles, and their signature cluck sauce on a soft brioche bun. Derrick and Kylie Foster, the owners and chefs, met in culinary school, married in Nashville, and have started their hot chicken empire right here in Kansas City. This is one sandwich that lives up to its name. mothercluckerofficial.com

ROOMS WITH A

VIEW

A KANSAS CITY GARDEN CELEBRATES INDOOR/ OUTDOOR LIVING

words by Judith Fertig

Garden design blooms when the client allows the designer to nudge them—just a little. When a Kansas City couple enlisted Kristopher Dabner, owner of The Greensman, to transform their small yard into an entertainer’s paradise, they knew they had to be open to new ideas.

In 2007, Scott and Robin Boswell moved from Charlotte, North Carolina, back to Robin’s hometown, Kansas City, where Scott had taken a new job as president of Commerce Trust’s West Region. They happily raised their two sons, now grown, and gave Mimi the rescue dog room to roam.

Their classic J.C. Nichols house, once an up-and-down duplex, had been reconfigured into a single-family home replete with architectural details, such as brick and limestone arches.

Just before the pandemic, the Boswells

photos by Aaron Leimkuehler

In the “living room” of the garden, all-weather wicker chairs and a sofa flank the outdoor fireplace. Pennsylvania bluestone pavers define the seating area.

Clockwise from top left: The outdoor kitchen is equipped with every appliance the chef could desire. A pair of beds filled with deutzia surrounding dwarf globe blue spruce flank the entrance to the dining area. Tall, thin, unobtrusive poles gather at the corners of each room to hold the globe lights crisscrossing overhead. Tucked behind the living area are more blue spruce and deutzia plantings surrounding a vintage wire planter overflowing with a variety of annuals.

enlisted the help of Dabner to design their outdoor space. “The house is a T-shape, and the garden forms a U around it,” says Dabner. “We wanted the outside to be a reflection of what is inside, with the same emphasis on quality.”

“After we looked at six different designs, Kristopher created a garden we could never have envisioned on our own,” says Scott. “At first, we were just going to do a section, but then we could see the benefit of having garden rooms. We love everything about it.”

Adds Robin, “I can look out from the house to the garden, 12 months out of the year, and see something that makes me happy.”

Whether it’s just the two of them, or when they host a large gathering—such as their KCUR fundraiser just after the project was finished—the garden has become a welcoming part of the home’s fabric.

One of the first projects was the outdoor fireplace, a focal point which mimics the look of the

home’s front door. Antique bricks from a former family member’s home were too large to incorporate in the fireplace itself, so they now form brackets that help support the stone mantel.

Dabner laid a hardscape of antique brick in a herringbone pattern for walkways and large Pennsylvania bluestone pavers that mimic area rugs. They provide a wordless message: “Brick means move; bluestone means stop,” he says.

Formal square beds, rimmed with antique brick, feature a dwarf globe blue spruce in the center and lime-green “Chardonnay Pearls” deutzia in the corners, one of the first shrubs to leaf out in spring. Tall hornbeams screen the outdoor area from the neighbors. Snowball and oakleaf hydrangeas add fresh softness accenting the metal kinetic sculpture and the armillary sphere that the Boswells found at Van Liew’s. The red metal poppy sculpture, emblematic of the terrible loss of life immortalized in the poem In Flanders Fields, came from a fundraiser for the National WWI Museum and Memorial.

An herb garden off the kitchen corrals plants in four coldformed steel-framed raised beds centered around an English Victorian chimney pot. “When I walk the garden every morning with my coffee in hand, I snip herbs, and it makes me happy,” says Robin. Fresh-picked herbs go into her bouquets, salads, and side dishes.

A mix of perennials in containers around the garden help at-

Clockwise from top left: An imposing kinetic sculpture is the focal point of the grassy area in the garden. Boxwoods surround the large armillary sphere. The red metal poppy sculpture recalls the WWI poem In Flanders Fields. A closeup of the flower-filled wire planter.

tract pollinators. Here and there, the Boswells also add annuals, such as the daisy-like scaevola, sedum, and impatiens.

A long dining area is adjacent to the outdoor kitchen, which features a Kalamazoo grill (which can crank up to 1,000 degrees) and a Kamado Joe smoker. Everything is right there for the grill master, including a bar area where guests can sit with a glass of wine while Scott smokes slabs of barbecued ribs, rotisserie-grills a Brazilian picanha, or achieves a perfect charry crust on a tomahawk steak. To keep the diminutive Robin comfortable, there’s even a brick footrest under the bar for her, so her feet don’t dangle off the bar stool. Storage underneath keeps wood for the fireplace dry and tidy.

There’s an intentional flow to Dabner’s design—areas to draw the eye and green squares of lawn “for your eye to rest,” he says. Places to move and places to stop. “Formal and informal areas, sculpted versus loose.”

“I feel strongly about giving people something unique, specifically for them,” says Dabner. “For this garden, I truly had clients who went above and beyond.”

Clockwise from top left: Antique bricks frame the packed pea gravel that surrounds the herb beds. The beds are framed in cold-formed steel. A closeup of the bright chartreuse “Chardonnay Pearls” deutzia, which will soon bloom with cascades of white, bell-shaped flowers.

Midsummer Magic

Movies in the Square

SATURDAYS IN JULY, SEPT, OCT (AT DUSK)

Movies on the big screen under the stars!

July 6: Raising Arizona

July 13: Legally Blonde

July 20: Toy Story 4

July 27: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Second Saturdays for Kids!

EVERY SECOND SATURDAY (10AM - NOON)

Free entertainment for mornings filled with play, laughter, and meaningful moments together.

July 13: Summer Foam Party!

August 10: It’s a Carnival

Wednesday Date Night

EVERY WEDNESDAY (6PM - 8PM)

Live music for a mid-week date night! Connect over a great line-up of pop/rock, country, and even reggae!

Pinwheel Club

TUESDAYS IN JUNE & JULY (9AM - 11AM)

A free weekly kids club with crafts, entertainment, and games.

Guitars & Games

EVERY FRIDAY (6PM - 8PM)

Free live acoustic music and lawn games.

Visit ParkPlaceLeawood.com for more details.

Park Place is located on the northeast corner of Nall Avenue & 117th St., just north of AMC 20 Theatre.

WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES CELEBRATING LOCAL

Here’s to the Lady Bosses Who Elevate Our City

MISSION FARMS’ WOMENOWNED BUSINESSES

The Women of Mission Farms

These ﬁerce females make it happen in their shops, restaurants, salons, studios, and galleries. Did you know that over half of the businesses at Mission Farms are owned or co-owned by women? Let’s celebrate and support these women-owned businesses.

There’s no place like Mission Farms anywhere in Johnson County—a vibrant destination blending the best life has to oﬀer in an area steeped in history and tradition. Conveniently nestled in the heart of Leawood at Indian Creek Parkway (106th Street) and Mission Road.

Blue Koi Owner: Jane Chang bluekoi.net • 913-383-3330

Cuorebella Owner: Trish Church Podlasek cuorebella.com • 913.325.7354

Enjoy Pure Food+Drink Owner: Staci Cross enjoypurefood.com • 913-544-1515

Eye Style Optics Owner: Lisa McDermott eyestyleoptics.com • 913-313-1207

Fusion Fitness Owner: Darby Brender fusionﬁtness.com • 913-800-1874

Gallery V Fine Arts Owner: Valerie Phillips galleryvﬁnearts.com • 913-341-3483

GoodVets Owner: Dr. Julie Bradford opl@good-vets.com • 913-407-0400

Mission: SKIN Owner: Jan Miller missionskinkc.com • 913-730-8050

Páros Estiatorio Owner: Kozeta Kreka parosleawood.com • 913-544-1262

Rye Owner: Megan Garrelts • 913-642-5800

Bonne Illig • 913-341-7273

Vilma Subel • 913-696-1616

BLUE KOI OWNER JANE CHANG

EYE STYLE OPTICS OWNER LISA MCDERMOTT

GOODVETS OWNER DR JULIE BRADFORD

RYE OWNER MEGAN GARRELTS

CUOREBELLA OWNER TRISH CHURCH PODLASEK

ENJOY PURE FOOD + DRINK OWNER STACI CROSS

FUSION FITNESS OWNER DARBY BRENDER

GALLERY V FINE ARTS OWNER VALERIE PHILLIPS

MISSION: SKIN OWNER JAN MILLER

PÁROS ESTIATORIO OWNER KOZETA KREKA

VANBROCK OWNER BONNE ILLIG (3RD FROM RIGHT) AND HER TEAM

XIPHIUM SALON OWNER VILMA SUBEL

Celebrating 20 Years as Kansas City’s Design Destination

Geri Higgins, Founder and President of Portfolio Kitchen & Home, is known for her innovative and personalized approach to Kitchen and Home Design.

Under her leadership, Portfolio Kitchen & Home is recognized as one of the Midwest’s Premiere Kitchen, Bath and Home Design Firms. Recipients of numerous accolades and awards for their work, the Portfolio collection of design services includes renovation, restoration, and new build construction. Their beautiful showroom

Owner: Geri Higgins

In Business Since: 2004

portfolio-home.com •816.363.5300 215 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, MO

located across from Union Station has become Kansas City’s ultimate design destination.

Portfolio’s sophisticated design, combined with their vast array of beautiful, unique materials has established them as Kansas City’s go-to design firm. Their client-driven approach and commitment to excellence has led to lifelong client relationships. No matter the size of the project, Portfolio is committed to honoring their client’s needs and their signature style.

GEORGOUS AESTHETIC BAR

Your Natural Beauty, Elevated

At Georgous Aesthetic Bar, Georgia Cirese is known as the “OG Injector.” With over 20 years of experience in aesthetics, the owner of the local medspa is nationally recognized for her work in aesthetic injection treatments, such as wrinkle relaxers and cosmetic ﬁllers. In fact, Cirese often travels the country as a national trainer and speaks at conferences. She’s also a Registered Nurse (RN) and Certiﬁed Aesthetic Nurse Specialist (CANS).

Cirese founded Georgous Aesthetic Bar with her daughter, Mary Katelyn, in 2019, hoping to deﬁne a new category of boutique clinics. Five years later, Cirese leads a team of licensed and trained providers who produce natural, yet stunning, results and guide patients through the treatment options that best meet each individual’s needs.

Owner: Georgia Cirese, RN, CANS In Business Since: 2019

georgouskc.com • 816-946-8484

4505 Madison Ave, Kansas City, MO

At Georgous Aesthetic Bar, expect an experience that’s both professional and personal in a comfortable and inviting space—comfort and safety are a top priority. The clinic’s treatments include wrinkle relaxers, such as Botox, Daxxify, Dysport, and Jeuveau; cosmetic ﬁllers; PDO thread lifts; PRP facelifts and facials; bootylift, laser treatments, including BBL/IPL, hair removal, and HALO; microneedling; chemical peels: facials and medical weight management.

Each treatment at the clinic is backed by science and results so clients can rest assured knowing their treatment plan is eﬀective. After all, Cirese’s motto is that the best procedures are the ones that are undetectable. At Georgous Aesthetic Bar, it’s all about elevating each client’s natural beauty.

Organization Makes People Happy

Meet Emily Aull, the owner of Aull Organized, a premier professional organizing service dedicated to transforming both in-home and commercial spaces into havens of eﬃciency and tranquility. With a passion for orderliness and a keen eye for detail, Aull helps her clients declutter, streamline, and maximize their spaces to achieve harmony and functionality.

Driven by a desire to simplify lives and alleviate stress, Aull founded Aull Organized on the belief that an organized space leads to a clearer mind and a happier life. Her personalized approach to organizing ensures that each client receives tailored solutions that meet their unique needs and preferences.

From closets and kitchens to oﬃces and retail spaces, Aull tackles every organizing challenge with enthusiasm and expertise She is known for her innovative solutions and practical strategies,

Owner: Emily Aull

In Business Since: 2021

aullorganized.com •913-461-6438 aullorganized@gmail.com

helping clients establish sustainable systems that promote long-term organization and productivity.

Featured as an organizing expert in Apartment Therapy, The Spruce, and a frequent podcast guest, Aull ’s impact goes beyond just organizing physical spaces—she also provides invaluable support and guidance to her clients, empowering them to make meaningful changes and cultivate a more balanced lifestyle on her Instagram account @aullorganized

With Emily Aull at the helm, Aull Organized is more than just a service—it’s a trusted partner on the journey to a more organized and harmonious life. Whether you’re looking to declutter your home, optimize your workspace, or streamline your business operations, Aull is here to help you elevate your spaces that inspire clarity, creativity, and calm.

Live Well // Dress Well

Founded in 2020 by Joni Johnson, Clairvaux is a specialty women’s fashion boutique focused on emerging and heritage designers that reflect Johnson’s desire to blend “Parisian chic with California cool.”

Driven by a vision to help women look and feel their best, Clairvaux provides an unhurried and inviting environment offering carefully curated ready-to-wear clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories. Clients are supported by a dedicated, knowledgeable staff prepared for everything from a personal styling session to a full-closet review and edit.

Johnson travels the world attending markets in New York,

Owners: Joni Johnson In Business Since: 2020

shopclairvaux.com •913-499-6660

Fairway: 2710 W 53rd St, Fairway, KS 66205 Hawthorne Plaza:11934 Roe Ave, Overland Park, KS 66209

Los Angeles, Copenhagen and Paris to bring the best designers to Kansas City. “I love curating collections that inspire me. When you come into Clairvaux, you can always expect to discover emerging talent and products that are best-in-class. It’s also really important to me that there are a variety of price points. No matter what your age or budget you will love what you find at Clairvaux.”

Two flagship locations in Fairway and Overland Park serve the Kansas City metro, while ShopClairvaux.com carefully packs and ships designer styles nationwide. We invite you to join us in discovering your personal style and live our mission to Live Well // Dress Well.

CLAIRVAUX

Your Partner in Achieving Financial Success

At the heart of BG Wealth Management’s mission is a commitment to providing a pressure-free environment where every individual can confidently pursue their retirement goals. Led by the innovative CEO and owner Barbara Gulin, the team brings a unique perspective to the table. Gulin’s journey, from her upbringing as the daughter of Civil Service employees to her eventual calling in the financial services industry, reflects our deeply rooted connection to the Kansas City community.

Gulin’s childhood experiences throughout the US instilled in her a sense of adaptability and empathy, qualities that permeate our approach to client care. Initially pursuing a career in electrical engineering, her passion for helping others navigate the complexities of ﬁnance led her to her true calling. With extensive experience in insurance and investments, Gulin’s knowledge is matched only by her ability to translate complex

Owner: Barbara Gulin

In Business Since: 2012

safeharborfpg.com •913-553-6222

5700 Broadmoor St., Suite 500, Mission, KS 66202

ﬁnancial concepts into accessible language.

Beyond her professional achievements, Gulin is deeply engaged in the community, serving as a board member for HSFT Cosmopolitan Club, which actively pursues a cure for juvenile diabetes. Her involvement in her church ﬁnance committee underscores her commitment to making a tangible diﬀerence in the lives of others.

In a world where financial planning often feels like uncharted territory, BG Wealth Management stands as a beacon of assurance and empowerment. With a dedicated team of fiduciaries, they specialize in holistic financial planning, ensuring that every aspect of their clients’ needs, from retirement and tax strategies to legacy planning, is meticulously addressed.

BG WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Left to right: Kristina Shewmaker, Samantha Sander, Barbara Gulin, Amanda Moore, Adriana Cruz, Janet Wahoff.

ROSS DESIGNS

Your Complete Design + Build Solution

Karin Ross has over 25 years in the field experience when it comes to kitchen and bathroom remodeling and new build projects. Karin’s European background influences her style and passion for clean and elegant looks. She is famous for creating stunning transitional and authentic European styles.

When walking into a new kitchen or bathroom created by Karin Ross Designs, your eye will be pleasantly surprised at the harmony achieved between all the elements involved in the project.

From paint color to the very last detail, Karin goes above and beyond to make sure she captured the client’s desires and needs into the newly created space. “Our designs are elegant but functional” says Ross as the company transforms one kitchen or bathroom at a time. “We listen to our client whether their per -

Owner: Karin Ross In Business Since: 2006 karinrossdesigns.com• 816-425-2815 1260 Northwest Sloan, Lee’s Summit, MO

sonal style is traditional, classic, contemporary, or transitional, and we make it our passion to take their ideas and make them into a beautiful and inspiring environment for their homes. We travel extensively to find sources for new products and to continually connect with the best-of-the-best vendors, artisans, and craftspeople. We offer the customer great values on every design element from fine cabinetry to floor covering and the best designs in lighting.”

Services include an in-house designer and a project manager who work together and just happen to be the dynamic duo of husband and wife. Together they ensure every detail reflects your personal style and they create your dream kitchen or bath. Your satisfaction is their goal.

KARIN

SERENDIPITY FARM AND VINE, LLC

Johnson County’s Newest Vineyard, Tasting Room, and Event Space

Today, Amy Roberts owns Serendipity Farm & Vine. In 2019, she was soul-searching. She’d spent more than two decades working in the ﬁnance industry, her three kids were getting older, and she’d realized she needed to do something new.

“I [needed] to make a change in my life and get out of my comfort zone,” Roberts says. “Sometimes in life, we are afraid of making that big leap of faith, hoping we are making the right decision.”

While looking for a home for her parents, Roberts stumbled upon her opportunity to leap: a three-barn farm on 19 acres in Stilwell. She could see the beauty of the land, and she could see what she was meant to do with it. It felt like serendipity.

Roberts bought the property in August 2019. She got to work renovating the barns and planting the ﬁelds, and she brought her

Owner: Amy Roberts

In Business Since: 2019

serendipityfarmandvine.com •913-488-0811

4674 W. 183rd St. Stilwell, KS. 66085

father on as head winemaker. Now in its fourth year, Serendipity Farm & Vine sells 17 original wines. Its three renovated barns serve as a tasting room (for wine and coﬀee), a stunning wedding and event space, and cozy overnight lodging.

You’ll see butterflies throughout Serendipity—on its wine labels, in its decor, and in its skies. “Since purchasing the land in 2019,” Roberts says, “I noticed there were so many different butterflies—and especially the Monarch—fluttering around. Butterflies represent, for me, a transition in my life.”

Roberts is a ﬁrm believer that people are put in her path for a reason, and she wants to be inﬂuential in others’ paths today. She hopes her journey can inspire other women to take that leap of faith.

Kansas City’s Go-To Source for Rooﬁng

Sharon Cornolo has been in the roofing industry for decades. In the ’70s and ’80s, she worked for her family’s local roofing company, and today, she’s the CEO and owner of her own: Century Roofing, an award-winning roofer in the Kansas City metro.

True to its owners roots, Century Roofing stresses the importance of family and community to its team. Cornolo leads with an emphasis on mutual respect—between owner and employee and between company and community. A member of National Women in Roofing, she brings a unique perspective to a male-dominated industry, and this gives Century Roofing a competitive edge on top of its three distinguishing tenets.

The first is affordability. Century Roofing is a roofing company through and through, and this singular focus allows it to secure affordable bulk rates on high-quality materials. Its customers reap the benefits with reliably low prices on its services: roof construction,

Owner: Sharon Cornolo

In Business Since: 1990

centuryrooﬁngkc.com •913-422-0099

6 S. 59th St, Kansas City, KS 66102

replacement, and repair.

The second is speed. Cornolo’s company avoids supply-chain slowdowns by stocking its materials on site. It has its own yard, its own trucks, and even fabricates its own sheet metal. What does this all mean? Customers don’t get stuck waiting as materials sit in someone else’s hands.

Finally, technology. Century Rooﬁng is committed to innovation. Drone- and AI-assisted inspections, for example, allow Century’s certiﬁed inspectors to more accurately assess a roof’s condition and detect its anomalies. The approach keeps their workers safe and ensures a thorough, lasting job.

Away from work, Cornolo is a traveler, a pickleball player, and a theatergoer. She frequents the Starlight Theater, Kansas City Music Hall, and Kauﬀman Center for the Performing Arts.

CENTURY ROOFING

Here for You Through Every Move

West Village Realty is owned by founding broker Wendy Foil and her daughters, agents Sarah Harnett and Hannah Shireman. It’s a fullservice boutique residential real estate brokerage in Prairie Village.

With a top-producing, all-woman team of full-time Kansas and Missouri agents, West Village Realty’s approach represents the best of what the industry has to oﬀer. They do things diﬀerently—in a good way. They strive to create a cared-for experience to wholeheartedly serve the best interests of Kansas City metro home buyers and sellers.

What sets West Village Realty apart is the level of care, collaboration, and service for their clients, exceeding expectations in every transaction. When doing business with West Village, you can trust you’re more than your journey—whether you’re buying, selling, or even investing. You’ll be treated like family, feeling the support and encouragement you need to achieve your real estate dreams.

Owners and agents: Wendy Foil, Sarah Harnett, and Hannah Shiremen

In Business Since: 2021 westvillagerealty.com •913-742-2121 4434 w 90th Terrace Prairie Village, KS 66207

Keeping true to their core values gives the West Village team strength and purpose. They’re genuine and transparent. They have pure intentions. And they invite closer connections with our clients and team as a result.

The company’s name is a nod to the owners’ long-standing family ties to the industry (West is Foil’s maiden name) and devotion to creating a welcoming, supportive community. It serves as an everyday reminder to carry out their purpose and service with loyalty and generosity.

They’re in the top one percent of realtors in Kansas City. They have more than six decades of combined experience. They’re trusted advisors, creative partners, and unwavering cheerleaders. A home away from home; an extended part of your family. When you hire one of them, you truly get them all.

WEST VILLAGE REALTY

A Consciously Curated Lifestyle

Born and raised in Independence, Blackbird Collection founder Amy Appleton Dreyer has lived a life steeped in style, adventure, and advocacy.

Her journey began during her pursuit of a business marketing degree. For a time, she studied in Australia, igniting a passion for exploration that she says has profoundly inﬂuenced her life and work.

After she got her degree, she waited tables to fund backpacking trips all over the world—and this gave her an education in humanity that no university could provide. A decade of modeling followed, evolving into successful ventures in styling, art direction, and interior design.

With Blackbird Collection, her gallery-like fashion and interior shop in the Crossroads, she aims to provide sophisticated, comfortable, and timeless style.

“At Blackbird, we aim to educate, change the perception of

Owner: Amy Appleton Dreyer

In Business Since: 2024

blackbirdcollection.com

•816-266-4239

122 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108

Wednesday – Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm

being stylish versus being trendy,” Appleton Dreyer says. “[We] have conversations that lead to small changes in how we consume clothing as Americans. We tend to be a throwaway culture, and it’s important we change that narrative if we want to have a future.

“By investing in higher quality pieces that are timeless, we can build a wardrobe that’s multifunctional and easy as opposed to following trends that ﬁll the Atacama desert.”

Appleton Dreyer supports climate-conscious brands, and she also champions the causes of minorities and women.

“It’s important we support brands and people who have purpose and also care about making changes in a mostly white male–dominated world,” she says.

She is also a devoted mother to ﬁve children, and she says that despite her wide-spanning career, they remain her most rewarding achievement.

Owner: Chanel Katarina Jezek Year Founded: 2016 dearsocietyshop.com•816-912-9582 114 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108 Wed. – Fri. 11 am – 6 pm, Sat. 11 pm – 5 pm, Sun. 12 pm – 5 pm

LUCAS COMMERCIAL FLOORING GROUP

More Than a Flooring Company

Lucas Commercial Flooring is a full-service commercial flooring provider, woman owned and family operated with highly experienced staff and installers to provide quality and service throughout the entire flooring process.

Opened in 2008, Lucas Commercial Flooring has been working with business owners, facility managers, and commercial spaces to provide solutions for their flooring needs. Their goal is to create long-lasting partnerships by putting customer service first and finding the right flooring product to enhance productivity, comfort, and longevity.

They are not just a ﬂooring company; They are a customer service company.

Contemporary Designs, Curated Vintage, and Wardrobe Essentials

Chanel Jezek is the owner of Dear Society, a women’s clothing store and gallery in the Crossroads. From the store’s inception, Jezek has focused on creating a welcoming environment that encourages conﬁdence and thoughtfulness in the way women dress.

Dear Society sports a collection of minimalist contemporary designs, curated vintage, and wardrobe essentials. It’s a resource for style inspiration, contemporary seasonal wardrobe staples, and special vintage pieces that will be relevant for years to come.

Over the years, Dear Society has showcased numerous talented female artists, designers, and entrepreneurs. In 2016, Vogue included Dear Society in its Midwest shopping guide, and in 2021, it named it one of the best small businesses to support in the Midwest.

Owner: Dana Hetrick In Business Since: 2008

DEAR SOCIETY

Owner: Julie Wellner In Business Since: 1987 wellner.com•816-221-0017

1627 Main Street, #100, Kansas City, Missouri 64108

WELLNER ARCHITECTS + ENGINEERS

Women-Owned Business into the Next Generation

Julie B. Wellner, AIA, established Wellner Architects, Inc. in 1987 and transitioned to Wellner Architects + Engineers in 2024. As the owner of the ﬁrm, and with her education in architecture and engineering, Wellner provides a strong basis for well-integrated designs. In April, Emily Marsh, AIA, joined the team. Along with her background in large scale facility design, she is also Wellner’s daughter, who plans to help advance the ﬁrm into its next 37 years.

Wellner Architects + Engineers has diverse project experience, from large-scale new construction to detailed renovation. Building types include aviation, education, healthcare, hospitality and retail, science and technology, and sports. The ﬁrm produces design solutions that are creative, practical, and which address the contextual, functional, and budgetary parameters of each project.

BILLIE’S GROCERY

Health Food Redeﬁning Indulgence

Billie’s Grocery, nestled in the heart of Midtown, Kansas City, and at the Ranchmart in Leawood, KS, is a culinary oasis created by Robin Krause, the innovative mind behind Apothé Wellness Herbs and Billie’s Juicery. Robin’s expertise as a Nutritional Therapist Practitioner and Certified Herbalist shines through in the carefully crafted menu focused on mostly organic, nutrient-dense eats. Billie’s isn’t just about health food; it’s a vibrant hub of global flavors inspired by Robin’s travels. Enjoy post-workout smoothies, exotic Turkish eggs, an iconic NY street-style Reuben, a tender, slow-cooked carnitas burrito bursting with bold flavor, a fan favorite, sesame chicken salad and tons of gluten-free treats! Billie’s Grocery stands out with its commitment to quality ingredients, warm atmosphere, and diverse menu. Whether you’re a health enthusiast or a flavor fanatic, Billie’s Grocery offers an unforgettable culinary experience that celebrates wholesome deliciousness.

Owner: Robin Krause

In Business Since: 2020

billiesgrocery.com •816.683.4400

3216 Gillham Plaza, Suite 100 Kansas City, MO

Owner: Vanessa Linscott

In Business Since: 1971 Owner Since: 2015 stacoelectric.com •816-765-7112

11030 Hickman Mills Dr. Kansas City, MO 64134

STAFFING

KANSAS CITY

Creating the Perfect Team

For over 26 years, Staffing Kansas City has been the go-to resource for Kansas City companies in search of the “perfect” team. Their recruiters’ expertise and unwavering commitment to their clients is unparalleled in the industry.

At Staffing Kansas City, they understand the challenges of recruitment and hiring. That’s why they take the burden off their clients’ shoulders by managing the entire process of sourcing, screening, and interviewing potential talent. As a certified women-owned business (WBE), they take immense pride in their role as Kansas City’s trusted employment services partner.

Trusted. Experienced. Innovative.

Vanessa Linscott and her husband were around electrical contracting for more than 15 years before they bought Staco Electric in 2015. The decision came easy to Linscott, because she always knew that owning her own business would be the perfect fit for their family.

In Linscott’s time at the helm, Staco Electric has completed projects for several local clients, including Kansas City International Airport, Zhou B Art Center, and Orange EV. The stunningly lit new parking garage at KCI is Staco Electric’s handiwork; so are the hundreds of solar panels on its outer walls.

At career fairs, Linscott encourages women to enter the construction industry. “Girls don’t think of doing those things,” she told the Buildcast podcast in 2019. “I never thought of doing those things—I liked to draw so I got a graphic design degree. …It doesn’t matter what degree you get, it just matters what you’re made of.”

Owners: Shelley Seibolt and Roses Ammon

In Business Since: 1998

staffingkc.com •913-663-5627

9930 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS

STACO ELECTRIC CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

Owner: Cindy Barnhill

In Business Since: 2002 peartreedesignantiques.com•816-333-2100

303 E. 55th Street, Kansas City, MO Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm

KC NEEDLEPOINT

For All Your Stitching Needs

Carol Crowe and Polly Kramer are both lifelong stitchers. Nine years ago, they met serendipitously and shortly after, they founded KC Needlepoint: a fullservice needlepoint shop, based right here in Kansas City. Whether you are a seasoned stitcher or are looking to start your first project, they have what you need. You’ll find a huge array of hand painted canvases, accessories, and fibers. Their friendly and resourceful staff are ready to help you select threads, coordinate finishing, and lend a helping hand. Pop by for a class or join them on Fridays for Open Stitch. You can even drop off furniture for upholstering at the newly acquired KC Décor Upholstery (located at 7110 McGee Street). KC Needlepoint is so much more than a needlepoint shop. Visit us at our retail shop or peruse our website for all your stitching needs.

A Taste of European Charm

Located in the historic Crestwood Shops, Pear Tree Design & Antiques has been a destination for French and English antiques for many years. Owner Cindy Barnhill has a passion and an eye for antiquities for the home and garden along with a lovely selection of gift lines, many from abroad as well.

The shop is brimming with treasures that Barnhill discovers on her frequent buying trips to Europe and England where she unearths pieces that ﬁnd their way to Kansas City’s homes and gardens. Along with her team, she provides a warm, welcoming atmosphere in the shop with excellent customer service, a strong on-line presence, and shipping that’s never an issue.

Whether you are drawn to traditional or contemporary design, Pear Tree has that touch of European charm that will be the pièce de résistance in your home and garden.

Owners: Carol Crowe and Polly Kramer In Business Since: 2015 kcneedlepoint.com •816-599-7331 8050 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64114

PEAR TREE DESIGN & ANTIQUES

Enterprising Women Award Honorees, Event Cohosts, and Special Guests: (Front row, left to right) R. Biondo, Mark One Electric, C. Shelton, Nifty Promotions, K Buchanan, KBID, B. Wilson, WDS Marketing & PR. (Back row, left to right) J. Maze, Maze Freight Solutions, S. Weyrauch, Smart Cookies Bakery, Dr. S. Harrison, EMCEE, C. Keller, KCSourceLink, M. Derra, DiverseID, E. McFadden, Novella Brandhouse.

Owner: Becky S. Wilson In Business Since: 1987 wdspr.com •913.362.4541

INTERNATIONAL MATERIALS OF DESIGN Design, Creativity, and Absolute Quality

International Materials of Design provides unique tile and stone choices for discerning builders, designers and homeowners. Its foundation rests on consistent quality- quality product, quality design, quality service.

Co-owners Amy Sanders and Cindy Cleveland consistently maintain the unparalleled quality and service standards laid by the founders more than 30 years ago.

Those who seek international flavor, simple elegance, dramatic flare, period motif, and more, make International Materials of Design their first choice.

Clients are welcome to visit our showroom to handle and experience these treasures brought in from all over the world.

WDS MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS

The Exposure You Want. The Partner You Need.

An agency with a truly unique niche, WDS strategically utilizes business award programs and media coverage to help clients get known in the most positive, dynamic, and enjoyable ways.

Becky Wilson, WDS Chief Visibility Oﬃcer, develops targeted client campaigns that elevate and enhance entrepreneurial credibility, industry achievements, enterprise growth, and business success.

One example of WDS agency ingenuity includes the national Enterprising Women Award program. Managed by Enterprising Women Magazine, their program includes a formal award presentation at a conference in Florida. WDS developed a celebration event speciﬁcally for Kansas City Enterprising Women honorees. The festivities are held annually at the Mark One event space.

WDS assists clients in selecting, entering and then optimizing the positive attributes of accolades, honors, and awards. Award-winning agency clients include entrepreneurs, women and minority-led ﬁrms, and local and national business organizations.

Owners: Amy Sanders and Cindy Cleveland

In Business Since: 1976 imdtile.com •913.383.3383

4691 Indian Creek Parkway, Overland Park, KS

Founder: Janet Curran Year Founded: 2017 dogoodkc.org•816.216-1526 413 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108

CRUISE PLANNERS

Your Personal Journey Maker

Lynna Goldsby, owner of Cruise Planners, likes to look at vacations as life experiences. No matter if you are on a pink sandy beach in the Caribbean with family or exploring one of the many great wonders of the world. It’s all about the experience.

Since its inception in 2011, Cruise Planners has redeﬁned luxury travel planning. They specialize in ocean and river cruises, as well as meticulously curated land vacations spanning Europe and beyond. They cater to the discerning traveler seeking personalized, unforgettable journeys.

Whether you dream of exploring the historic treasures of Europe, unwinding on a pristine beach, or embarking on a cultural adventure, Cruise Planners crafts each itinerary with meticulous attention to detail. Trust Lynna Goldsby to transform your travel aspirations into reality, where every moment becomes a cherished memory.

On a Mission to Create a Social Impact

Do Good Co. is Kansas City’s only woman-created 501(c)3 luxury resale store dedicated to making a positive impact in the community. Specializing in luxury vintage clothing and accessories, Do Good Co. channels its proceeds to support two notable Kansas City organizations: KidsTLC and Wayside Waifs. KidsTLC oﬀers essential mental health and wellness programs for children and families in need, while Wayside Waifs is a comprehensive animal welfare organization that provides shelter, adoption, and education services, By shopping at Do Good Co., customers not only enjoy high-quality, sustainable fashion but also contribute to the well-being of both children and animals in the local Kansas City community. Through its missiondriven approach, Do Good Co. exempliﬁes the power of socially responsible and sustainable retail.

DO GOOD CO

Owners: Lynna Goldsby In Business Since: 2011 TravelWithLynna.com•913-999-8433 facebook.com/TravelWithLynna

DO GOOD CO.

Owner: Stephanie Herbig In Business Since: 2021

cheekybirdkc.com•816-500-8918

301 Main Street Parkville Mo 64152

Connecting Kansas City

It’s only ﬁtting that, as a majority women-owned and womenrun business, we toast to ourselves for just a moment. KC Media launched IN Kansas City, a lifestyle content brand, six years ago to set a new standard in KC’s media space. More than 100,000 print and online consumers rely on IN Kansas City magazine and inkansascity.com for content to make the most out of living in Kansas City. We connect our local advertising partners to our readers through our monthly magazine, digital, social media, events, and special publications.

We’re thrilled to share these pages with other womenowned businesses that add so much to Kansas City’s thriving business environment.

Not for Everyone . . . Deﬁnitely for You

Cheeky Bird is a clever mix of classic style, small designers, and makers of all kinds—currently all women—but it’s more than just a boutique.

Stephanie Herbig has a passion and natural ability for creating amazing spaces. Whether you ﬁnd the perfect piece for you, a gift, or just come to peruse the new ﬁnds and get a lift, everything in Cheeky Bird is carefully curated. Herbig strives to create an experience that is personal yet inclusive, sophisticated, maybe edgy but always fun—and most importantly, one you can enjoy.

The slogan, “Not for everyone …definitely for you,” speaks to one’s desire to be unique while also trying to fit in. Cheeky Bird wants you to know how cool you already are.

Owners: Alice Govert Bryan and Zim Loy In Business Since: 2018 inkansascity.com •816-768-8300 118 Southwest Blvd., Second Floor, Kansas City, MO 64108

KC MEDIA LLC

CHEEKY BIRD

by Jenny Vergara photo by Corie English

In Your Cocktail AQUA PENNY’S

Since opening in April in the Park Place shopping center, Aqua Penny’s has been making a splash with their fine selection of fresh fish, seafood specials, and meaty steaks and chops.

Owners Penny and Doug Mufuka, along with their partner, Michael Werner, opened Bamboo Penny’s in 2021 in Park Place, and now after two years of development, the trio have opened their first continental, coastal seafood spot just across the street.

The vibe inside is coastal chic with a little bit of lush Thailand flora and fauna thrown in for good measure. Decorated in soothing shades of

white, beige, and ocean blue, the restaurant is grounded by earthy hues with greenery hanging above, woven among the seashells and pendant light fixtures.

With a temperature-controlled wine cellar, private dining area, a gorgeous outdoor patio that wraps around the building, and doors that slide open to connect the indoor dining to the outdoors, eating at Aqua Penny’s feels like a mini seaside vacation.

The restaurant has an impressive selection of fish and seafood. The star of the show is the raw bar at a counter that has been poured in place with tiny pieces of oyster shell dotting the surface. Here, they shuck and

You Can Call Me Flower cocktail.

assemble plates and platters of peel-and-eat shrimp, crab legs, crab claws, poached lobster tails, and oysters on the half shell that are available both raw and cooked.

Look for beautifully plated entrée sh dishes featuring everything from salmon to octopus, whole grilled lobsters, and seared scallops. ere’s also a nice selection of caviar for those who love the avor and pop of those briny sea pearls.

But lest you think that seafood is all they serve here, Aqua Penny’s also has a hand-cut and chargrilled-to-order steak program, along with a 16-ounce Duroc pork porterhouse and a selection of serious sides, including wasabi mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, green apple slaw, furikake rice, or a wild mushroom medley.

Desserts lean into old-school tableside preparations. Choose from classic cherries jubilee or bananas foster. Additionally, there’s the ultimate chocolate board with decadent chocolate bon-bons and house-made chocolate creations. Key lime cheesecake and a fruit cobbler round out the selections.

As for the cocktail and wine program, you need to look no further than Jenn Tosatto, a veteran leader in Kansas City’s cocktail scene, who serves as beverage director for both Bamboo Penny’s and Aqua Penny’s. She’s responsible for the perfectly paired wine list and the cocktails—the creation of both her and the lead bartender for Aqua Penny’s, Ethan Erisman. ey spent months behind the bar and in the restaurant kitchen at Aqua Penny’s to come up with a cocktail menu that is fun, avorful, interactive, and upscale.

Case in point is their creation, “You Can Call Me Flower,” a classic 50/50 martini ri that has citrus and oral undertones from the orange ower water and lemon twist. Order this with a seafood tower or a dozen freshly shucked oysters while sitting on their open-air patio, and you’ll feel like you are dining seaside. Fair winds, my seafaring, friends! aquapennys.com

You Can Call Me Flower

1.5 ounces Hayman’s Old Tom Gin

1.5 ounces Dolin Blanc Vermouth

1 dash orange flower water

1 lemon twist

1 edible flower for garnish

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and add ice. Stir until chilled. Strain into a coupe or Nick and Nora glass. Express the oil from the lemon twist over the top of the drink and discard. Garnish with an edible ﬂower.

A spectacular, contemporary venue with transformable reception spaces and a magnificent courtyard. 1900bldg.com (913) 730–1905

Modern-American cuisine from award-winning Chef Linda Duerr. Chef Duerr and team present elegant fare and carefully curated menus for a variety of special occasions. therestaurantat1900.com (913) 730–1900 1900 Building

BY Jenny Vergara

EV GRAB N’ GO MARKET

WHEN JAMES BEARD award-winning chef Michael Smith and Nancy Smith opened their modern Italian restaurant, Farina, in 2019, they left their original restaurant space, Michael Smith Restaurant, as is, choosing to use it for private parties, catered events, or as over ow seating for their Mediterranean tapas restaurant Extra Virgin. Now the couple has announced that their enviable corner spot on Main Street will be o cially redesigned to match the vibrant, colorful décor of Extra Virgin, so it truly looks and feels like part of its sexy sister restaurant next door. With the original Michael Smith Restaurant kitchen still intact, they will also add a new grab 'n’ go market in the space called EV Grab & Go, selling sandwiches, soups, and salads, along with heat-and-eat dishes to take home from both Extra Virgin and Farina. It won’t be the entire menu, just those dishes that travel well. Dips, spreads, salads, lamb skewers, duck meatballs, and marinated olives are on the short list. Also available will be a rotating selection of pastas and sauces, vinegars, olive oils, fresh cheeses, almonds, anchovies, steaks, fresh herbs, and even cocktail ice. Doors to open sometime this month.

SCORING THE PERFECT LOOK

Getting to the home of your dreams can be tough. Pro sports reporter Olivia Harlan Dekker and her husband Sam had been dreaming about a patio refresh for months before getting in touch with NFM. After just a couple steps, our team of pros transformed their space into the hangout they always wanted. The best part? NFM’s expertise is available to every shopper! So, even if you’re not a tastemaker like Olivia, you can add NFM’s design experts to your team.

Flavor IN KC

by Jenny Vergara

ITALIAN SAUSAGE CO.

THE ONLY THING that could make the hefty Italian subs and juicy sausages from Italian Sausage Co. even better is a place to sit down inside and eat them. The popular Gladstone deli has moved two doors down from its original 500-squarefoot walk-up counter space to its new 1,100-square-foot space that’s complete with indoor seating, an expanded menu, and a market and liquor license to serve cans of beer, glasses of wine, or an Aperol spritz to go with your meal. Owners Joe Jr. and Michelle Brancato opened the new space a few months ago, featuring a “family table” in the back that they have decorated to resemble their family dining room table at mom’s house. They’ve added a series of appetizers, salads, and hot sandwiches, including the classic Italian beef, Italian steak, and chicken parmesan sandwiches. Also on the menu is an authentic Philly cheesesteak made from a recipe developed by local Kansas Citian Doreen Brown, who grew up in The City of Brotherly Love. Dessert also comes straight from the East Coast. They are shipping in Italian pastries, such as cannolis, zeppoles, and sfogliatelle, from New Jersey. They also plan to add breakfast to the line-up. Luca bagels will be the base of the breakfast sandwiches made to accompany coffee drinks from the new espresso bar. theitaliansausageco.com

Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation

Theater League

Edward P. Milbank

Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund

Missouri Arts Council

Shirley & Barnett Helzberg Jr. Donor Advisory Fund

Sunderland Family Fund

Jim and Diana Cusser

Hulston Family Foundation

Francis Family Foundation

Jack and Karen Holland

McMeel Family Foundation

Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts

Sarah Yé

Bank of Blue Valley

Beth & David Hazels

Robb & Robb LLC Charitable Foundation

Dr. Marc and the Hon. Stephanie Taormina

Peter G. and Elizabeth Torosian Foundation

William J Brace Charitable Fund

William T. Kemper Foundation

Flavor IN KC

by Jenny Vergara

CHINGU SOJU

AFTER TRYING THEIR HAND at making soju, the national spirit of Korea, at home during the pandemic in 2020, Chingu founders Keeyoung Kim and David Son decided to go to the experts for help. A conversation with the owners of Kansas City’s own Mean Mule Distilling Co. on how to make the popular Korean spirit for use at their restaurant bar has resulted in a solid partnership and the first Midwest-made premium-distilled Korean-style soju. Chingu Soju is made right here in Kansas City using traditional distilling methods and the same three ingredients used centuries ago—rice, a traditional fermentation starter; nuruk; and water. The result is a clear, sweet, floral spirit that is perfect to sip neat or in a cocktail. Chingu Soju can be found on the cocktail menu at Chingu restaurant in Westport, which serves it the traditional way or with soju mixers, often seen in Korean restaurants and bars in other cities, or in carafes with two-ounce glasses so diners can pour and mix their own drinks at the table.

“Our vision is an extension of what we set out to do with Sura Eats and Chingu Restaurant—to educate Kansas City about Korean culture while providing spaces where longtime friends and new acquaintances can continue to establish community,” Kim says. chingusoju.com

Spotlight KC ATTRACTIONS NOT TO MISS IN JULY

KC Fringe Festival—Now in its 20th season!

Two-weeks of performances, films, visual arts exhibitions, and events showcasing local, national, and international artists.

A new way to get a workout, connect with others, and explore KC’s rich history and hidden gems in KCK or KCMO.

Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum

Experience some of history’s most dramatic stories, from the Great War to the Cold War. NewTruman.org

KC Nights at Worlds of Fun

The hot spot for family-friendly fun, a night out with your best buds, or a unique date night. Saturdays & Sundays, July 13-28

Urban Hikes KC—3-5 Mile Guided Urban Hikes

Reservation for One URBAN

by Jenny Vergara

Leimkuehler

If you want to see what the future looks like for Kansas City’s Troost Avenue, just head for the corner where Armour meets Troost. It’s an area that Chicago-based MAC Properties calls Armour Corners, named after the four modern apartment buildings they have built there—one on each of the four corners that had been vacant lots and run-down buildings.

Now there are two apartment buildings on the east side of Troost, both five stories with 110 units, and two on the west side that are both eight stories with 340 units. The result looks like it belongs in a stylish up-and-coming urban neighborhood in a much larger city. In addition to all the new housing, there’s an additional 13,000-square-feet of retail and restaurant space. It’s created the perfect opportunity for the newest iteration of Justin Clark’s restaurant, Urban Café, now renamed Urban.

Clark holds a culinary arts degree from Le Cordon Bleu-North America and started his professional career working for hotels before a stint as chef de cuisine at The Westin Crown Center. He then accepted the catering chef position at Truman Medical Centers, cooking for the CEO and hospital administrators. Eventually, he revamped the entire hospital menu at Truman, where he flipped it to an all-scratch kitchen

serving healthier menu items made with locally sourced ingredients. This evolved into his own personal culinary calling card.

He opened his own restaurant, Urban Café, first as a food truck in 2016, then he bounced around several brick-and-mortar locations along Troost, with each nicer than the last. Next, he landed one of the coveted restaurant spots inside the new terminal at Kansas City’s International Airport. He closed his final Urban Café location at 55th and Troost in early 2023. When a car came crashing into the outdoor seating area at the restaurant, he took it as a sign to move on.

With a 15-year lease for his spot at the airport, and his food truck still used for catering, he was ready to create his newest iteration. Urban is located inside the Roxford at the Crosswalks apartment building at the corner of Armour and Troost Avenue.

The interior of his restaurant matches the moody urban vibe of the exterior of the new apartment building. With amazing views from the spacious dining room and outdoor patio, a pretty private dining room in the back, and a bright, white-marble bar area with plenty of seating, Urban sports sophisticated sparkle and shine. Painted in dark gray tones with chic, modern brass lighting, the art on the walls adds just a pop of color. The

photos by Aaron

Kung Pow Cauliflower

Fried Duck Confit

Cognac Old Fashioned

slow-groove soundtrack is your cue to relax and enjoy your time here.

Not wanting to walk away from the clientele he built for breakfast and lunch, Clark is open from 8 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. At 3, he switches to an enticing small plates and dinner menu. I stopped in for a late lunch and found a busy dining room full of people lingering over lunch with friends and colleagues.

Although he’s open all day, Clark manages to keep his menu for each daypart short and sweet with just enough to please everyone and not overwhelm the kitchen. I found the breakfast and lunch menu lacking for nothing and also true to his culinary calling card, with a balance of healthy vegetable options made with local ingredients, along with some meaty signature sandwiches and fish dishes.

I attempted to order the Urban Cheddar Burger, which comes with cottage fries, but my waitress informed me that the farmer from Barham Family Farms had not yet delivered the beef. She said to come back and get it because it was worth the wait, and with Barham Family Farms meat involved, I’ll be back for that burger.

Quickly pivoting to the Seafood Cobb Salad, I found it a light and completely satisfying take on the iconic West Coast salad invented in the early 1900s, the Crab Louie, often called the “king of salads.” Clark’s version absolutely lived up to that nickname. It’s half a crisp romaine lettuce head cut into spears, topped with softly poached shrimp, real crab meat, cherry tomatoes, a jammy eight-minute egg, and crunchy ba-

con for a punch of salty, porky flavor. The star of the show was the salad dressing. A sparkling champagne vinaigrette subbed for the more traditional creamy Thousand Island-style dressing. It was a perfect lunch salad and packed with protein.

The Oxtail Bahn Mi sandwich was too interesting to pass up. A soul food-inspired Vietnamese mash-up, it was served on a hefty slice of crusty bread, slathered with a fiery kimchi mayo, then stacked with melt-in-your-mouth oxtail meat cooked to a luscious buttery texture. Candied jalapeños, pickled daikon radish, and thin slices of freshshaved carrot added a clean crunch to the rich sandwich. It was served with crispy-on-the-outside and soft-and-pillowy-on-the-inside cottage fries. The result was a study of balanced contrasts—soft and crunchy, hot and cold, sweet and spicy.

There is no dessert menu at Urban, but looking at the wine, beer, and cocktail list there are several drinks on the sweeter side that could easily fill that gap, if you were willing to drink your dessert. As someone who enjoys a sweet bite at the end of the meal, even at lunch, I missed that.

The realities of operating a restaurant can be disheartening, and Clark has experienced both the highs and lows of opening and operating three restaurants in seven years on Troost Avenue. Yet, he continues to invest in the area with each new spot because he believes in the power of providing good food to the people living and working in the community. Based on the number of new restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, and ice cream spots in the area, he’s clearly not alone. urbanontroost.com

My Essentials IN KC

Kelly’s essentials...

PHOTO OP:

Kaw Point is at the con uence of the Kansas River and Missouri River. It was the campsite for Lewis and Clark in June of 1804. Not only are there hiking and biking trails, but you also often nd kayakers out for an evening paddle. You can get a beautiful shot of the rivers with the Kansas City skyline in the background.

BEST BITE:

KELLY LUDWIG

DESIGNER. PHOTOGRAPHER. CURATOR.

Kelly Ludwig moved to Los Angeles after graduating college, but she found it expensive and insular.

“I realized fairly quickly I’m a Midwest person.”

At 25, she moved back to Kansas City to start her own design studio. e city she found was an artistic eye-of-the-storm, photogenic and food rich, and allowed her to carve her space in the design world. At Merkle, she was creative director for projects with organizations including the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and NBC Universal. For six years, she taught young designers at the Kansas City Art Institute. She’s active as a freelancer today.

Kansas City is also Ludwig’s home base for her most unique passion: road trips to discover vernacular art, or artist-built environments—which she describes as unique artscapes built by self-taught artists out of passion, not obligation. Her collection of photography on the subject spans decades and is one of the largest in the country. She shares her photographs on her website and with the Kohler Foundation’s SPACES, which helps preserve sites like these.

“It’s just super easy to live here,” Ludwig says of Kansas City. “ ere’s a great creative community here, there’s great music. ere’s great food. We’ve made our own fun because there’s not a natural wonder other than the Flint Hills—so we make our own fun, and that seems to be food and art.” kellyludwig.com

Oh, that Crispy Rice at Waldo Thai is crazy good. I went, pre-Covid, with friends, and I keep going back for more. Plus, the craft cocktails are delish. e sta is knowledgeable and funny.

LIVE MUSIC:

Knuckleheads is crazy. It’s over on the east side, the East Bottoms. So imagine this outdoor stage, and you have a train that runs literally right next to it. So when someone’s up there playing, the train comes by and, of course, blows the horn—it almost shocks the musicians into realizing they’re in someplace unique. It’s not just another stop on the tour.

ROAD TRIPPING:

SHOPPING SMALL:

I really like Made Mobb, a local streetwear brand. Local entrepreneurs Vu Radley, Mark Launiu, and Jesse Phouangphet have been making their mark, collaborating with the Chiefs, KC Current, and UMKC among others. e KC clothes and hats are typically spot-on typographically, which makes my designer heart swoon.

GUILTY PLEASURE:

is is going to sound ridiculous, and it is, but demolition derbies at the local county fairs are so damn much fun. Can you imagine a sport where you get disquali ed after your second engine re? at means you can have a rst engine re and keep going! Great photo ops abound. e derbies are in the evening, so the light is great as the sun is setting. en you have the lights of the fair to shoot, and oh, the people. . .

county fairs are so damn much fun. Can you

It is just a smidge over four hours, but I would have to say Lucas, Kansas. e drive through the Flint Hills to this small town of 400 is well worth it. It is a creative mecca and home to the Garden of Eden, the oldest intact folk-art site in America; Bowl Plaza, a world-renowned public toilet and mosaic masterpiece; and Erika Nelson’s World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest ings. Whew.

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