KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 News reporter Braden Bates covers parts of Jackson County, Missouri, including Lee's Summit. Send Braden a story idea by e-mail.
—
It's Brookside's women-owned weekend, and on one block of 63rd Street and Brookside Boulevard, every single business is women-owned.
Inside the four storefronts, colorful displays show off each business's individual personality.
"We add lots of creative touches to, you know, uniqueness that you wouldn't find anywhere else, not in a big box stores," Katie Mabry van Dieren said.
She owns two locations of Shop Local KC, one at Crown Center and the other in the Brookside Plaza. Both locations offer something different, as Crown Center gets tourist attraction while Brookside leads to more local customers.
"Well, this week is Women Owned Week. It's a national holiday," Mabry Van Dieren said.
Alexandra Nuttall's business is the newest on the block. She owns Maison Design and Builds.
She is designing a path for herself and the women who will come after.
"I kind of fell in love with the Brookside area," Nuttall said.
"Work hard and don't give up on the dream you have like I started with law. And I moved here and I became an interior designer, so it's just so different."
She had some advice for the next generation of women entrepreneurs.
"If you believe, I'm sure it will become true," Nuttall said.
Marielle Kokos says her first year on the block has been a treat.
"Basically if you go into these participating stores that are all women owned, you get a stamp," Kokos said as a customer was grabbing a business passport as part of the event.
"All of the other women owned businesses on the street were having a meeting and it was just serendipitous to be able to meet them all before I even got started," Kokos said, reflecting on the days she was looking at her storefront.
And lastly, a place with a cool history.
"So about 25 years ago I created the cookie dough crumble, our best seller," Leah Krieger said. She and Megan Reilly co-own Foo's Fabulous Custard Company.
Both started as employees at the custard shop, then took over when the previous owner Betty, retired.
Reilly and Krieger said the normalization of women business owners is showing progress.
"I think it's an excellent example of what incredible leaders women can be," Reilly said.
"Every single storefront is a has a woman behind it, and I think that is something to be really proud of and I think Kansas City should be proud of it too," Krieger said.
—
