When Kathi Vandel started Lightworks, Inc. in 2002, she wanted a business that created balance between light and dark, art and engineering and most importantly, work and family. “The backbone of our company rests on the concept of balance,” she said. “That’s why the company was formed, and maintaining that balance keeps us happy people.” Today, [...]
Marisa Wiruhayarn’s entrepreneurial journey began when she left Thailand in the early 1980s for a fresh start in the United States. But it would be many years later before her spicy Thai hot sauce would truly launch her into a business of her own. Shortly after coming to the U.S., Wiruhayarn would mourn her young [...]
I joined Dionne King on a rainy weekday at Quay Coffee in the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. As always she looked like she was ready to meet with the top brass of a major corporation. That wasn’t far from reality. She only had a few minutes for this interview before she was off to [...]
Stella Crewse started at the bottom in a male-dominated industry. She worked her way up from part-time bookkeeper, learning everything she could about the plumbing business in her 14 years at Morgan Miller Plumbing. Then in 2017, she bought it. Crewse began the business transition by enlisting the expertise of the Small Business & Technology [...]
Hiring great employees isn’t easy. Every step brings its challenges and heartaches: recruiting stellar candidates, navigating the hiring process, onboarding new employees, inviting them into your company culture and encouraging high performance and professional development. And when you do find that great hire, what’s the secret to getting them to stay and grow with the [...]
