COMO Business Times

10/30/2025

A new chapter for Park Avenue! 🏘️ Columbia has kicked off a $25M project to replace aging public housing with 79 modern units, featuring green spaces and a community center. City and county ARPA funds, tax credits, and grants are helping make it happen. This and more in October’s What’s Going Up.

The first phase of a more than $25 million plan to build seventy-nine new public housing units along Park Avenue in central Columbia is now underway. The city’s Building and Site Development office issued twenty-two building permits for the project to Columbia Housing Authority in August. The buil...

10/30/2025

10/29/2025

Congratulations to our October Movers & Shakers!

Jim Fram Columbia-based economic development consultant Jim Fram recently completed a national search for a CEO/executive director for the Dickinson County Economic Development Corporation, headquartered in Abilene, Kansas. Fram is a Certified Economic Developer and a Certified Chamber Executive. Hi...

10/28/2025

Time or money: which one is more valuable? Jodie Jackson Jr. gives his response.

Quick. Name two things that will control you if you don’t control them. Answer? Time and money. Anyone who knows me might know that I’m not the best advice-giver on those two topics. I am convinced, though, that the person who expertly manages his time is actually wealthier than the person has t...

10/27/2025

How can we use our resources, networks, and influence to create real opportunities and stronger communities here in Columbia?

In thinking about this month’s issue focusing on wealth and finance, I returned to the authors and ideas that have shaped how I think about pathways to prosperity and how we can connect the dots to create stronger communities. Reviewing my go-to sources, including Jonathan Kozol, Robert Putnam, an...

10/24/2025

What's the word on the street? October's issue covered Mun Choi's contract extension, the closing of Arris' Pizza, the COMO Flavors festival, and more.

It’s a Mizzou double take: UM System President Mun Choi received a contract extension through 2031 the day after the university hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on September 4 for two additions to the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) facility. The event was actually more of an announ...

10/23/2025

Women already control $10 trillion in U.S. household assets — and that number could rise to $34 trillion by 2030.

Over the next decade, women are expected to control more than $30 trillion in wealth in the U.S. — a shift experts call one of the most significant economic movements of our time. That figure, projected by McKinsey & Company, marks a major transfer of decision-making power as women inherit assets,...

10/22/2025

Meet Shannon Lundeen, president of Stephens College, whose passion for education runs deep.

Dr. Shannon B. Lundeen President, Stephens College Job description: As president, I serve as the chief advocate and ambassador for Stephens College. I am charged with providing strategic vision and leadership, securing financial sustainability, and stewarding our historic mission of empowering women...

10/21/2025

What started as a volunteer gig changed the course of Don Lafferty’s life — and thousands of others. Now celebrating 34 years with Impact Support Services, Don leads the Columbia nonprofit connecting people with disabilities to meaningful experiences.

Don Lafferty’s pursuit of a career in medicine led to a volunteer opportunity at Cedar Creek Therapeutic Riding Center that soon changed his vocational trajectory — and his life. Now approaching his thirty-fourth year with Impact Support Services — formerly known as Alternative Community Train...

10/20/2025

October's issue took a Closer Look at SkinfiniTy Studio and Renew Missouri.

SkinfiniTy Studio SkinfiniTy Studio brings a fresh approach to skin care and brow services in Columbia. Tyler Card, a licensed esthetician, chemist, and Mizzou alumnus, started the business in September 2023. Card said he decided to start his own studio after feeling undervalued in his previous work...

10/18/2025

Think a Fed rate cut means lower mortgage rates? Not so fast. While the federal funds rate influences borrowing costs, mortgage rates depend more on long-term bonds, inflation, and investor confidence. Learn why the two don’t always move together.

Over the past month, there has been considerable debate about the direction the U.S. Federal Reserve should take regarding monetary policy, specifically whether to lower the federal funds rate (FFR) to improve the overall economy. One argument for lowering the FFR is to reduce housing costs. When th...

10/17/2025

🎀 Regular mammograms save lives. Boone Health reminds women that early detection is key — most breast cancer cases are found when treatment is most effective. Yet, disparities in outcomes persist, underscoring the importance of annual screenings.

Learn more about scheduling your yearly mammogram https://ow.ly/WRns50XcNQj and get health updates delivered straight to your inbox or doorstep through Boone Health’s newsletter/magazine: https://ow.ly/NLwg50XcNQn