A young Casie Murff jumped from cutting lawns to shaping lines, but it wasn’t until decades later — after embracing support from groups like The Porter House KC, Kansas City G.I.F.T. and a resurgent Troost business community — that the entrepreneur’s vision truly started buzzing.

“Sometimes as entrepreneurs, you need that reassurance,” Murff, founder of freshly faded The BeVel Barber Lounge, said of the support he felt on opening day this month when resources leaders, city officials, family, and friends filled his shop to show support. “Seeing that many people show up gave me confirmation that I’m doing the right thing. It was a blessing.”