Portraits of KC

It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from in and around KC.

Tom Bradley

As a registered nurse, I worked in the Emergency Department and also the Surgery-Trauma ICU at a large university hospital. I later worked in the field of organ and tissue transplantation where I focused on teaching hospital staff how to offer the option of donation to grieving families. I finished my healthcare career working as an IT consultant helping hospitals customize their electronic medical record. About 8 years ago I retired and that has given me the freedom to again focus on my passion, photography. Read more>>

Kapil Jain

Originally from India, Shruti and I came to the U.S. to pursue our Master’s degrees at UMKC. Over the years, we worked at various companies before joining Microsoft, where we continue to work today. While thriving in our tech careers, we also ventured into entrepreneurship—my brother and I run Simandhar Education, a leading institution based in Hyderabad, India, that provides training for CPA, CMA, EA, IFRS, and other professional certifications across the country. Read more>>

Mikayla Crane

White Carpet Bride was born as a hungry team of elite artists who are in a never ending pursuit of helping others feel absolutely amazing. Our desire is the perfection of our craft in happy conjuncture with the service of others. There have been SO many challenges along the way,… probably almost everything you could think of, to be honest. But I am a firm believer that competition and negativity can be used for two choices. You can either be defeated and torn down, OR you can use it to fuel kindness, generosity, pursuit of skill and performance, and to serve others. And THIS is when competition makes us better at WHO we are, WHAT we do, and HOW we do it. Read more>>

Moemo Maid Cafe

Most maid cafes start with a group of friends who share a love for anime conventions and the unique experience of maid cafes. For Head Butler Clove, one of our three owners, that passion began as a fan before he ever became involved in running a cafe himself. Our team was brought together by the dream of recreating this interactive, heartwarming experience for others while forming meaningful connections along the way. Read more>>

Tonsil

Aside from music, I’m really in love with crafting and design, which is one reason why I wear a decorative headpiece. It’s not so much about hiding my identity (tho I am a private person), it’s more about creating a unique visual style, a billboard for my skills, and a way to prioritize the sound of my voice over my appearance. Read more>>

Lindsay Blanchard

After 24 years as a teacher, I wanted to find a way to supplement our income as our oldest son started college. My brother, who works in finance, introduced me to health insurance brokerage, and I quickly saw the opportunity to help others find affordable, reliable coverage. In September 2023, I set a goal to be licensed and ready for Open Enrollment by November. I studied hard, passed my exam, and launched HealthLink KC LLC. Read more>>

Tyler Wirken

Nothing is a smooth road.  Running a business is always a challenge. I would say that is the biggest struggle is simply finding work and having to constantly reinvent my self. As I get older my passion for having my photos matter and make a difference grows stronger. I want to give back using my photos to make a difference in the world. Shifting the emphasis of my business over the years to using my story telling abilities to help businesses and non profits further their missions has been a bit of struggle to get off the ground but it is so very rewarding to see my photos make a difference. Starting another division of our business in my 40’s proved to be challenging. It is all worth it however to continue my journey. Read more>>

Joey Jones

In addition to his vocal prowess, Joey made waves in the fashion world by modeling for an Adidas sportswear line launch through an independent franchise in Siloam Springs, Arkansas in 2018, also modeled for various independent artists with passion from Midwest states such as Oklahoma and Texas that same year, and modeled for fashion designers out of Wichita, KS for a show called “Model Mayhem” in May of 2022. This unique blend of music and fashion showcased his versatility and charisma, further establishing his presence in the entertainment industry. Read more>>

Dr. Michelle Robin

Through my years of practice, I developed the Quadrants of Wellbeing framework, which highlights the four key areas of health: Mechanical (movement and structure), Chemical (nutrition and biochemistry), Energetical (nervous system and subtle energy), and Psychospiritual (mindset and purpose). When these quadrants are in balance, people experience a greater sense of vitality and resilience. This approach has become the foundation of how we guide individuals toward sustainable well-being, helping them make small but impactful shifts in each area of their lives. Read more>>

Marites Altuna

I never imagined my journey would lead me to where I am today. My story began in the Philippines, where I grew up in a rural province surrounded by rice fields. Life was simple but fulfilling. However, everything changed when I was in sixth grade—I contracted an infection that led to rheumatic fever, which severely affected my heart and left me temporarily paralyzed. I was forced to stop attending school, and the illness also damaged my vocal cords, making it difficult for me to speak. My voice was barely more than a whisper. This experience was devastating, but my mother’s unwavering faith and encouragement helped me find hope and determination to recover. Read more>>

Tonni “pharoh” Fewell

His first book “The UnderPass” was released independently in December 2022, which was quickly followed up by his semi-autobiograhical memoir “Mafiola: Magnum Opus” in October 2023. The hunger for more continued for him, and in the Spring of 2024. he released a cookbook titled “The Surf: Seafood Recipes Inspired by Momma Tee” which was dedicated to his late mother Thresia D. Fewell (1948-2023). His latest title “Resolute Destiny: a History of Black Excellence” which was released late last year, is a captivating journey that celebrates the remarkable acheivements of several heroic Foundational Black Americans. Read more>>

Laura Gagnon

My name is Laura Gagnon and I am a mala-maker, mother and yogini. I am inspired by the beauty and meaning of malas. It is my passion to create jewelry that can heal and inspire others based on individual aspirations and desires. I work with a wide variety of gemstones and each mala is individually hand knotted with love and intention to heal. Read more>>

Rachel Santschi

After two seasons in San Antonio, I made a career shift to morning news and spent four years as a morning anchor and reporter for an ABC affiliate in Kansas City, MO. From 4:30 to 9:00 AM every weekday, I reported on local stories, breaking news, and hosted live interviews, both in-studio and via satellite. I was also the station’s reporter for special assignments like the Country Music Association Awards, the CW Press Junket, and Kansas City Chiefs home and away games. Read more>>

Andrew Bristow

My name is Andrew Bristow. I am 21 years old and I am the owner of Pantheon Moving. I got into the moving business at 17 while I finished my last year of high school at Sumner Academy and worked for a large moving company for 3 years while being in college. While working at the company I moved up the ranks very quickly and became a senior crew lead and regularly helped with daily operations and management tasks. In my time working for this company I also gained experience working in a call center and as the director of new hire onboarding, which got me acquainted with customer service and people relations. Towards the end of my career there I became dissatisfied with the progress I was making and their unwillingness to give me higher positions and more responsibility because of my age. Read more>>

Cameron Brigham

It’s hasn’t been smooth but it hasn’t been a lot of struggles either. Working a full time job, part time job, running a business, taking care of my mother, and being a very active father all at the same time has been a struggle mentally and at times I wanted to just give up. It’s been a lot of days with no rest, no sleep. Then the imposter syndrome has made me doubt myself at times. Wondering if I deserved to make it to this point. But God always finds a way to tell me yes I deserve to be here. Read more>>

Jessica Mauderer

Jessica was born in Kansas City, MO in 1981, the oldest of three children. Her family lived in Belton, MO throughout her school age years. She began playing volleyball in middle school and loved the sport from the very start! She accepted a two year scholarship and attended Longview Community College where she received her Associate Degree in Arts. She transferred and graduated from the University of Missouri in 2004 with her Bachelor’s in Finance/Banking. She worked in the banking and financial services industry for 16 years. Read more>>

Mindi Getz

I love that my business can be mobile, and even international. Clients can receive bioresonance scans from anywhere. I get to live in a rural area but my reach is not limited by city limits or who wants to drive here for a session. It’s also crazy fun to know that in a tiny town of barely 1000 souls, someone can get cranial electrical stimulation therapy or a laser facial, or a custom frequency patch. You can’t buy an organic apple in my hometown, but you can get advanced quantum level therapy. Read more>>

Bennett Cook

I went to every single event I could go to, practicing my work more and more until it became something quality, and presentable. I began giving my work out for free on my Instagram page to promote myself. Soon enough, I had people and sports teams who wanted work from me! I decided to scale it all up to a business and as of today, it’s became my full time job and I get to travel all over the place doing photoshoots for individuals and teams. I’ve taken over 200,000 pictures, and captured lifelong memories for probably somewhere around a thousand people. I don’t believe I would be myself without photography, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the things I’ve achieved. Read more>>

Chandler Jacobs

ChargerGoGo KC launched a little over three years ago as an extension of the national brand “ChargerGoGo.” It all began when I started looking for a way to make a meaningful impact in the community, build a recognizable presence and personal brand, and gain valuable experience along the way. Today, we’ve expanded to 15 locations across the Kansas City metro area and Wichita. Our growth has been driven by grit, determination, and a relentless commitment to our mission. As a one-person team, I make the most of the resources available, doing everything I can to push the brand forward! Read more>>

Tyrone Townsend

Now, as parents to three amazing kids, we’re navigating the joys and challenges of raising a family. Our son, Harrison, is nine and absolutely loves football, baseball, and basketball—he spends endless hours reading his favorite book series “Dogman.”. Our oldest daughter, Sophia, is five and loves to color and make crafts. She’s an artist in our family. The youngest, Harper is two years old, she is our energy in the family and loves both her siblings. Read more>>

Brianna Downey

Then things took a shift. While operating an organization that I had started in my hometown, “The Broome County Clean-Up Crew”, a directive to clean up trash throughout the downtown area, I met Tyler. Tyler had received a degree in English and theatre from Binghamton University and had been performing in the area. He went on to take on a few roles in NYC and later worked in LA, but it just was not as fulfilling as he had wanted and so he decided to join the Army on a whim. Read more>>

Johanna Kline

My name is Johanna Kline (Aranda Herrera), and I’m the proud owner of *Balloons D’Lux*. I was born and raised in La Paz, Mexico, and I am a wife and mother of two beautiful girls. My journey to where I am today is deeply rooted in my family’s determination to give us a better life. My parents made the difficult decision to move us to the United States when I was 12 years old, hoping it would open doors to opportunities we couldn’t access back in Mexico. The decision wasn’t easy, and I won’t sugarcoat it—those first years were tough. I arrived in St. Joseph, Missouri, without a single drop of English, and that language barrier felt like an enormous wall between me and the world. But my curiosity about people—their stories, their lives—kept me going. Read more>>

Margot Turner

My family is pretty creative/artistic, and I knew that I had a small gift as well. Trying to figure out what it was, was the hard part. I quit my academic studies and applied to cosmetology school and the rest is history. I had found my creativity in making people feel beautiful. I have been in the industry for going on 6 years now, and it definitely hasn’t been easy getting to where I am now. There has been a lot of trusting the process, with a couple side hustles to get me through. Word of mouth has been my best friend, and I couldn’t have gotten here without my clients trusting with me. So much love for them. Read more>>

Ashley Rodden

In 2006, I founded LOVER® Cosmetics LLC, a full color cosmetics line. From day one, my goal was to make makeup simple for women. In 2009 I quit my job and flew to Paris, France, to attend the renowned l’Ecole du Maquillage Artistique, Christian Chauveau. After reading a magazine article about Gucci Westman who attended the same school, I decided that was where I too would do my makeup training. For 6 hours a day, and three and a half months, I learned from the best of the best in Paris! Read more>>

Odb Kels

After her Aunt’s passing, Kels relocated to Wichita, KS, to advance her music career. Collaborating with artists from Hi-Class and BeaztMode, she released her debut album, Kelscapade. Returning to Kansas City, she began working on her follow-up project, Kelsparade, and re-established herself in the local scene through open mics. Teaming up with Kaiyrie and Mac Mo Green, she co-founded 3 Kings Royal Empire, performing across various venues and sharing the stage with notable acts like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Read more>>

Jeff & Crystal Bryant

Our first few trips were humble weekend getaways filled with mom-and-pop diners, roadside attractions, and historic landmarks. I dove deep into the research and captured every moment through my camera lens, ensuring we documented our journey in detail. As the blog’s face, Crystal took the lead in interacting with people at each destination, uncovering personal stories, and making genuine connections. Together, we found a rhythm that allowed us to bring each place to life engagingly and authentically. Read more>>

Cheryl Poe

I do alterations, mending and custom pieces but my passion is really in making whatever comes to mind. I’m constantly inspired by other people’s clothes and how they style them. When I see a garment I like, I try to construct it in my head. Once I get an idea for something new, I can’t rest until I sketch it out or even begin working on it. I’d say I’m most proud of my growth in my skills and confidence in my work. It can be intimidating to cut up someone else’s clothing and hope they like what it turns into, but when they try it on and love it, it’s so worth it. I like to think that my use of upcycled materials and my designs themselves set me apart from others. Read more>>

Christy Koch

We started by attending smaller, local events as well as farmer’s markets which was a great start for us. We met incredible vendors that we have become friends with. It’s great to have like minded friends for support, encouragement and advice along with way. Meeting our customers, face-to-face, is so exciting for us. We love getting to know them and build those relationships. Many of them follow us around to our events and bless us by supporting our business. We now spend most of our summer at 2-3 day festivals and the colder season at local, indoor events. You can also find our items in two local stores: Tammi Sue’s in Buckner, MO and Artisan’s in Harrisonville, MO. We have recently started an etsy store as well which was a bit scary and exciting! Read more>>

Samuel Villezcas

I should add that I always respect people’s privacy and never take a picture of someone that does not feel right. You have to trust your instincts and have common sense about certain situations. I don’t believe in being intrusive when it comes to street photography. I mostly shoot with an 85mm lens because it gives me the reach and compression in my photos that I like for my shooting style. Ever since I got into street photography, I have followed a lot of great street photographers. I decided to do just that and show off Kansas City life and its people. I’ve built up some following with my work, and people started noticing me around the city when I shoot. Anyone who wants to keep up with my work can follow my Instagram at SammieMedia_ or my hashtag #peopleofkc. Read more>>

Ayesha Nguyen

It has been interesting. Currently, I am the only Cosmetic Surgery Recovery Nurse provider in the Kansas City area offering this unique combination of services to men, women, and transgender post operative clients. Although I am providing a need-based service; I am also disrupting a system. My present challenge is creating a partnership network with cosmetic surgeons and surgery centers for referrals to help their clients heal 20 times faster and achieve better-looking results! Read more>>

Julianne Kilson

I enjoy doing assessments for ADHD, ASD, and IQ, but I found that I love working with the geriatric population doing dementia and other neuropsychological assessments. Dr. Morrison asked me to continue working after my practicum finished, and I’m thrilled to be a part of their team. My first book, The Grief Project, was just published in December by Kendall Hunt Publishing. Because of the book, I was recently interviewed on Great Day KC and featured in an article in the Tribune. I have eleven grandchildren and my family is my favorite thing about me. I want to be remembered as someone who loved people well. That’s my ultimate motivation in everything I do. Read more>>

Edward Patterson

I landed my first short film role in 2018 “Burying Mitchell” and first feature film in 2020 “The Stylist”. Once COVID hit it leveled the playing field and my now fiance and I had been wanting to move. We landed on Chicago, which is where I took my acting to the next level. Booking plays and immersing myself with the Chicago acting scene. Since being here in Chicago, I have booked 4 National Campaign/Commercials and now am ready to tell my own stories. I have been writing a short film called Trigger. It aims to highlight microagressions that are often over looked or excused, specifically around the word “nigga” and its use outside the black community. Shooting will begin this summer 2025. Read more>>

Amanda Stellick

I grew up in a loving Christian home with parents who encouraged me to excel and gave me the best opportunities they could. As the oldest of five children, I learned to help and care for others. I went to a Christian grade school where I developed a passion for reading, learning, and sharing my faith in Jesus. In elementary school, I also fell in love with soccer. I played on a competitive team, but was devastated when I didn’t make the JV team my freshman year in high school. I continued playing on my competitive team and worked hard to improve. I did make JV the following year, but learned I needed to work harder than my peers to reach the goals I had set for myself. Throughout my teen years, I also did a lot of babysitting and developed a love for working with children. I knew I wanted to become a teacher! I went to Martin Luther College, a small D3 college in Minnesota, where I not only received a degree in elementary education, but was able to play soccer all four years as well! Upon graduation, I had a unique opportunity to teach elementary school and English classes in Tsuchiura, Japan. I lived there for a year and had some amazing experiences. Looking back, I think the experience of living in a place where you don’t know the language helped me become a better teacher, especially as I taught children to read and write. Read more>>

Ellie Hardesty

I’m a current doctoral student at KU. Originally, I’m from Wichita, KS. I graduated from KU, before moving to Houston for my masters. Read more>>