Building Community and Healing in Kansas City
- Building Community and Healing in Kansas City Devin Thorpe 25:45
I’m not a financial advisor; Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions.
Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.
When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.
Devin: What is your superpower?
Alexis: I think that my superpower is my sense of scale. I think of it as kind of the capacity to fractal in and out.
In Kansas City, Missouri, Alexis Penney is redefining what a Yoga studio can be. Inner Space KC, their innovative business, combines yoga, movement classes, coworking spaces, and a community hub under one roof. The historic building, with over a century of history, is now a bustling center for connection and Growth.
“Our studio anchors a community of diverse tenants, including estheticians, nonprofits, and energy healers,” Alexis explained during our conversation. “It’s an experiment in coworking that brings together different communities and customer bases.”
Inner Space also plays a vital role in its neighborhood. Situated on Troost Avenue, a street with a fraught history as Kansas City’s historic redline boundary, the area is now a focal point for redevelopment. The studio aligns with local organizations fostering healing and support, from recovery housing to affordable childcare. “There’s an energy of healing here,” Alexis shared. “The site of so much conflict has become a place for growth and recovery.”
To expand Inner Space KC’s impact, Alexis launched a regulated investment Crowdfunding campaign through Honeycomb Credit. This effort invites the community to invest in the studio’s growth while supporting the broader revitalization of Troost Avenue. Highlighting the alignment between their values and the Honeycomb platform, Alexis noted, “We didn’t want someone owning the business who didn’t share our mission. Honeycomb’s approach resonated with our vision of community and connection.”
For those inspired by Alexis’s work, visit s4g.biz/inner to explore the Honeycomb campaign and contribute to this grassroots movement. Inner Space KC stands as a beacon of Innovation and unity, proving that community-driven ventures can lead the way in urban transformation.
tl;dr:
* Inner Space KC combines yoga, movement, and coworking spaces to foster community and connection.
* Alexis created a unique work-trade system, offering yoga classes in exchange for services.
* Troost Avenue’s history inspires Inner Space KC’s mission to support healing and urban revitalization.
* The Honeycomb Credit crowdfunding campaign empowers grassroots investment in Inner Space KC’s growth.
* Alexis’s balance of detail and big-picture thinking drives sustainable systems and community impact.
How to Develop a Sense of Scale As a Superpower
Alexis’s superpower, their sense of scale, allows them to move seamlessly between focusing on intricate details and seeing the big picture. They balance these perspectives to create systems that foster harmony and functionality, whether in their business, Inner Space KC, or in broader community contexts. This dual focus enables Alexis to build a thriving environment that supports individuals while addressing systemic challenges.
When Alexis took over Inner Space KC, they faced challenges with maintaining the cleanliness of the space. Initially, Alexis personally cleaned the studio to establish standards, discovering hidden details like cobweb-prone corners. Recognizing the need for a sustainable solution, they introduced a work-trade program, offering yoga classes in exchange for cleaning services. This innovative system not only met the studio’s needs but also attracted skilled participants who contributed unique talents, such as planting pollinator-friendly gardens. The result was a thriving, clean, and aesthetically enhanced space that reflected the collective efforts of the community.
Tips for Developing a Sense of Scale:
* Reframe Problems: View challenges as opportunities for curiosity and growth rather than immediate fixes.
* Keep a List: Note recurring issues or observations to understand patterns before jumping to solutions.
* Categorize Needs: Group tasks into categories (e.g., facilities, HR) to identify systemic solutions.
* Engage Stakeholders: Regularly assess who is impacted by and contributing to your environment, including community members.
* Systemize Processes: Develop systems that empower others to contribute independently, reducing personal micromanagement.
By following Alexis Penney’s example and advice, you can make a sense of scale a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.
Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!
Guest Profile
Alexis Penney (they/their):
Owner / Lead Care-Taker, Inner Space KC
About Inner Space KC: Inner Space is a yoga studio, healing arts center and collaborative working space.
Website: www.innerspacekc.com
Company Facebook Page: fb.com/innerspaceyogakc/
Instagram Handle: @innerspacekc
Other URL: invest.honeycombcredit.com/campaigns/inner-space-kc
Biographical Information: Alexis Penney (they/them) is an artist, teacher and spirit worker based in Kansas City, specializing in holistic embodiment, energy medicine and spirit-guided transformation. They are the owner and lead caretaker of Inner Space KC, a community movement and collaborative healing arts space, share soul-tending and transformational work through the vessel of Star Service Holistic and offer art and writing regularly through Heartland Mysteries on Substack. Alexis endeavors to support contemporary people living in challenging times in reclaiming their power, purpose and wholeness, rooted in a regenerative relationship with earth, land, body and spirit. The vision they tend through all their work is a world where queer and trans people remember their belonging, artists remember the necessity of their gifts, and all people remember the earth-honoring community as their birthright. Alexis draws on over a decade of teaching as well as a life-long apprenticeship to service and spirit along many diverse paths, including music, drag, performance art, Wicca, yoga, western mysticism and the Taoist martial arts. Born and raised in Kansas City, Alexis spent 13 years teaching and practicing in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City before moving back to the Midwest. Alexis is an active leader in the Cycle Community, a non-local spiritual community endeavoring to live in authentic animist relationship with the earth, and has been an active student of the Cycle of Transformation, the initiatory process led by Christina Lee Pratt, since 2018.
Personal Facebook Profile: fb.com/alexisblairpenney/
Instagram Handle: @heartlandmysteries
Support Our Sponsors
Our generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today’s advertisers include FundingHope, Inner Space KC, Honeycomb Credit and SuperCrowd Impact Membership. Learn more about advertising with us here.
Max-Impact Members
The following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support to keep us operating:
Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Add Your Name Here
Upcoming SuperCrowd Event Calendar
If a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.
* SuperCrowdHour, December 18, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, we host a value-laden webinar for aspiring impact investors or social entrepreneurs. At November’s SuperCrowdHour, Jason Fishman of Digital Niche Agency will share insights. Free to attend.
* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on December 17, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.
Community Event Calendar
* Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET – Click on Events
* Community Revitalization, Thursdays, 10:00 AM Eastern.
* CfPA Webinar with President-Elect Jenny Kassan sharing her vision for 2025, December 11 at 2:00 PM Eastern.
* NC3 Changing the Paradigm: Mobilizing Community Investment Funds, March 7, 2025
* Asheville Neighborhood Economics, date TBD following impact of Helene.
If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 8,000+ members of the SuperCrowd, click here.
We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode.
Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe
