Unice Harris founded Purses With Power in 2018. Unice, who has a master’s degree in business administration, recognized that women who have hospitalized children would appreciate gifts that included self-care and inspirational items. The organization provides gift baskets and gift boxes, in addition to purses. The contents may feature such smile-generators as bubble bath, candles, […]

Kim Riley knows from experience how difficult it is for parents of students with autism or developmental disabilities to make arrangements for them after they graduate from high school. In 2019, she founded The Transition Academy as a way of supporting the families facing mountains of paperwork and no clear plan. The organization’s mission is […]

Tayten DeGarmo Tayten DeGarmo won’t be lounging around the pool when school’s out. Instead, the high school student will be attending Indiana University’s Ballet Summer Intensive and the Sacramento Ballet’s Summer Intensive. For the past nine years, Tayten has studied at the Kansas City Ballet School. Her list of credits includes Kansas City Ballet productions, […]

“For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.” – Virginia Woolf Many of the traditional and textbook historical narratives center male experiences and hide the contributions of women. Throughout the different aspects of human history, whether politics, science, literature, art, or sport, that tendency removes a huge portion of the knowledge and experiences of the […]

Life contains moments in which we are forced to steady our balance, draw a breath, and take a flying leap. Or as we say in ballet, a grand jeté. By her mid-twenties, Amaya Rodriguez had established a solid career as principal dancer of the National Ballet of Cuba, where she was the company’s top ballerina […]

Tandra Stacer has been involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City for many years. Not only is she a board member, but she is a Big. Tandra and her Little, Gabby, were matched a decade ago and have many wonderful memories of their time together. Tandra and Gabby received the Big and Little Sister […]

Never underestimate the power of a hungry, talented, artistic woman on a mission. What strikes us as we learn more about these mavericks, is the sheer length of each of these women’s lives. We think there must be some real health benefits to pursuing the arts on one’s own terms… . (Author’s note: Many thanks […]

Mr. and Mrs. Steven Kent Howard of Prairie Village, Kansas, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Lynn Howard, to Eric Carl Savio, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Louis Savio of St. Louis, Missouri. The bride-to-be is the granddaughter of Mrs. Richard Charles Jensen, Jr. of Prairie Village and the […]

Heart of America Shakespeare Festival’s Romantic Revels was held on February 11th at the InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza. Drs. Susan and Charles Porter were the honorary chairmen. Linda Word was honored with the Founder’s Award. Guests enjoyed cocktails, a gourmet dinner, a silent auction, and dancing. For a special treat, HASF actors and […]

Many coveted auction items and raffle prizes will be featured at the Lyric Opera Circle’s Lyric Opera Ball. Karla and Dr. Ivan Batlle are serving as the honorary chairmen for the event, which will be held on April 1st at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center. Juliette Singer and Edie Downing are the […]

Trailblazer: Jennifer Matney, Rising Star Class of 2016 Jennifer Matney, Rising Star Class of 2016, is the board chair of the Women United Cabinet for the United Way of Greater Kansas City and the board president for the School of Economics. She is a member of the ambassador board of Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City. Jennifer […]

Rebecca Sommers founded Girls on the Run Serving Greater Kansas City in 2007. Running is a key component, but it’s far from the only one. The organization’s programs, tailored for students in the third to the eighth grades, are designed to strengthen girls’ social, emotional, physical, and behavioral skills. Participants learn life skills, such as […]

Prior to becoming a student at Park University’s International Center for Music, Anastasia Vorotnaya had been educated at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory in Russia, the Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Spain, and the International Piano Academy in Italy. She is “A Prodigy of the 21st Century,” according to Musical Life Magazine. Beginning […]

Located in Independence, Missouri, the historic Independence Square has experienced an evolution during the last 25 years. A once burgeoning town square, made famous by President Harry S. Truman, it became blighted over time with vacant buildings well into the late 1990s. Today, “the Square” as it is affectionally called, is flourishing with locally owned […]

Anne Bowling’s activities with the Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Greater Kansas City include serving as secretary and a member of the board of directors, which she has done for more than six years. That’s far from her only involvement. Anne also helps guide the organization’s social media presence. She posts updates on Facebook. […]

We’re familiar with bling and swag. That said, we’ve never been to a dinner party where the guests received diamonds as souvenirs of the evening. Alas, we were born too late to be on Eleanor Massie Hope’s invitations list.  According to a marriage record report filed in Colorado, Ella Massie and George D. Hope wed […]

The Symphony League of Kansas City’s Symphony Ball, “Seasons,” will be held on September 9th at the Kansas City Convention Center. Shirley Helzberg is serving as the honorary chairman. The event will celebrate Maestro Michael Stern’s final season with the Symphony. All members of the Symphony will perform. Julie McCann and Gina Penner are the […]

Members of the Celebration Committee for Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy’s Leading with Love event met recently at Lathrop GMP for a luncheon to kick off the inaugural event. Event Co-chair Mara Cohara was the host. Exciting plans are being made for the June 15th celebration, which will be held at Loews Kansas City Hotel. […]

Life Unlimited’s Hats Off to Mothers luncheon will be held on May 11th at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Rachael Sabates is serving as the luncheon chair. The honorees, applauded for balancing family life, personal achievement, and community service, are Lisa Block, Stephanie Freeman, Sandra Lawrence, Laura Perin, Anita Robb, Lynda Robertson, CiCi Rojas, Nancy […]

January 19th was the date when members of Kansas City Ballet’s Bolender Society gathered at The Kansas City Country Club for A Musical Evening with Ramona, featuring Kansas City Ballet’s Music Director, Ramona Pansegrau. The festive event included a dessert reception and a program on Cinderella and Prokofiev’s captivating music. Guests enjoyed Ramona’s presentation and […]

More than 200 guests gathered for The Independent’s Top Ten Party on February 16th at the 1900 Building. Our Town’s strong commitment to philanthropy was on display at the celebration as the Top Ten Events of 2022 and The Independent’s 2023 Class of Rising Stars were announced. Each Rising Star was presented with a custom […]