Maker City KC

9 questions with a Maker: this week’s guest is Melinda of Milkweed Baby

Milkweed Baby is a one woman show. I’m Mindy, a stay at home mom that designs and hand-makes vegan soft sole shoes for babies & toddlers. I love the Royals. I drink wine, listen to One Bad Mother podcast, still love 90s music & shoes. I used to be a pretty good golfer, I’m a big time introvert, and I swear A LOT. I run my business out of my 1956 atomic ranch in Prairie Village, where I live with my husband, 3 year old daughter, and 1 year old doxie-poo. I sell my work on


1. What inspires you and your work?

Inspiration tends to strike me while I’m doing mundane tasks, like dishes, spreadsheets or data entry, which is funny because my work is really colorful.

2. Are makers doers or dreamers?

Which came first the chicken or the egg? A maker really has to be both.

3. What invention / product do you wish you would have created?


4. What is the worst invention / product still embraced by modern society?

Soda... grosses me out.


5. If you could sit down and have a drink with any person in your industry, who would it be and why?

Kilee Nickels of Nickel and Suede. She’s doing it how I want to. She didn’t outsource the production of her products as her company grew, instead she built her own. If I were to grow that big, that’s what I want to do. That way I am still directly involved with production, the quality and I could be in control of how my employees are treated. I worked in the corporate world a long time, and it taught me a lot about how I DON’T want to be.

6. What do you love most about the Maker Movement happening in Kansas City right now?

I love all the collaborations. It makes my heart happy to see makers working together to further each other along.

7. Who or what is another maker in Kansas City that you’re impressed and inspired by?

Tarrah Anderson of Whiskey and Bone. That girl is so talented and the nicest! She is such a positive person, and good things are coming her way!

8. What Kansas City creation / icon best reflects our makers’ community?

I really dig the shuttlecocks at The Nelson. I think as a symbol of our city they show how big things can come in small packages. I feel like our maker community really parallels that sentiment.

9. If you could ask people to do just ONE thing to support the Maker Movement what would you ask or tell them?

The easiest thing you can do is to interact with the local makers on social media. When you like a picture on Instagram it means that more people will see it. That can mean another sale for a maker.


Want to know more about Milkweed Baby, look them up here: