City Entrepreneur

Victor Hwang, founder of Right to Start, drove through all 50 states to see what entrepreneurship really looks like across America. Growing up with immigrant parents, Victor saw opportunity differently — and on this road trip, he found out that most stereotypes about “red states” and “blue states” miss the truth. Entrepreneurs, he says, are the ones quietly building the bridges that still hold this country together.In this episode of City Entrepreneur, Victor shares what he learned about community, division, and why entrepreneurs often die deaths of a thousand cuts — but might just be the only thing that unites us.

Shaniqua Jones-Williams built SendBack after her DIY wedding left her drowning in returns. Instead of waiting in lines, boxing items, and dealing with shipping labels, she imagined a service that comes to your door, repackages everything, and sends it back for you. In this episode of City Entrepreneur, Shaniqua shares how she turned everyday frustration into a logistics startup, the challenges of building from St. Louis, and what it takes to solve a billion-dollar problem that big companies ignored.

When a $30K hotline told him it was the only way to launch his idea, Jon Ruis taught himself to code and built EB Systems from his dorm room. Ten years later, his Bluetooth beacon technology is tackling city-wide challenges — from managing crowds and traffic to helping local businesses thrive during global events

Jonaie Johnson, founder of Interplay, built a smart dog crate startup in Kansas City, pitched it on global stages in Paris, joined Techstars, and is now moving to Chicago. In this episode of City Entrepreneur, she talks about the grind of building hardware, what’s missing in KC’s startup scene, and why some founders feel they have to leave to grow.

Salubata is a Nigerian-born startup turning plastic waste into customizable, recycled shoes. In this episode of City Entrepreneur, co-founder Yewande Akinse shares how the journey began in Nigeria, expanded to Paris through a global accelerator, and landed in Kansas City with Techstars backing.

From tackling the plastic waste crisis to building a scalable company with global impact, this is the story of how Salubata is reshaping fashion and sustainability through innovation.

3PL Playbook: Triage, Inventory & Scaling After a Celebrity Viral MomentJeff, founder of Cybership — a fulfillment & logistics partner for DTC brands — tells the unvarnished story of what happens when a client goes viral. He explains how Cybership absorbed the demand spike after a Taylor Swift mention, the fulfillment and product tweaks that mattered, and the systems they put in place to turn chaos into sustainable revenue.He also gets candid about quitting college to run the business, the operational and cash pressures of hypergrowth, and the specific founder tradeoffs that made scaling possible. Practical, no hype — for founders, operators, and anyone who runs logistics for fast-growing consumer brands.

Gonzalo, founder of Scout, walks through the real steps that turned an ugly MVP into a paying veterinary clinic — and the hard lessons that came with being an early startup. This is tactical: product scope, demo approaches, first sales plays, the small product decisions that drove adoption, and the operational struggles every founder faces when there’s no runway and everything breaks.

In this episode of City Entrepreneur, we sit down with Bob Regnier, a visionary leader and founder of Bank of Blue Valley, to discuss his journey in transforming Kansas City’s banking landscape. We speak to the Kansas City start up Ecosystem and Growing the page! Bob shares insights on entrepreneurship, community investment, and leadership lessons learned over decades of impact.🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with KC’s business leaders making moves in the community.

What does it take to go from hustling to scaling a thriving business? In this episode of City Entrepreneur, we travel to Virginia Beach to sit down with Steven Anthony, CEO of Anthony Global Holdings, and explore the transformative impact of the UPLIFT Program.

The UPLIFT Program is a Virginia Beach entrepreneurship accelerator that provides its cohort members with essential tools for growth: financial resources, business structure, and contracts. More importantly, it fosters a community where entrepreneurs collaborate, share insights, and help each other succeed.

We also hear from two incredible business owners in the UPLIFT cohort who share their journeys and reveal how the program has helped them scale their businesses, overcome challenges, and build impactful connections.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The power of community in growing a business.

• Insights from Steven Anthony on what makes founders succeed.

• How the UPLIFT Program supports entrepreneurs in scaling sustainably.

• Real-life stories from Virginia Beach entrepreneurs making an impact.

This episode dives deep into the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Virginia Beach and why collaboration and mentorship are key to thriving in today’s business world.

Don’t forget to subscribe for more stories of grit, growth, and success from entrepreneurs reshaping their communities!