The 'Co' in KBA & Co: Why I Am Building a Collective of Small Makers
June 23, 2026
When people ask what the “Co” in KBA & Co stands for, the easy answer is “company.” The truer answer is the one I am more excited about. It stands for the people I want to build this with.
It started as my apothecary
KBA & Co began as my herbal apothecary. Salves, serums, tinctures, teas, and a bug spray that actually works, each one built around a researched lead herb and made by hand here in Kansas City. That part is not going anywhere. It is still the heart of what I do.
But the longer I ran it, the more I kept meeting other small makers in the same spot I had been in. People making genuinely good things by hand, soap, candles, quilts, teas, with no easy way to reach more than their immediate circle. Building a whole online store of your own is a mountain. Most makers would rather be making.
So I am building a roof, not just a shop
The vision for KBA & Co is a small, carefully chosen collective. A handful of independent makers of natural and handmade goods, all hosted under one roof, each one credited by name. When you shop here, you are not buying from a faceless brand. You are supporting real people making real things.
Our first partner is Show Me Soaps, an independent soap maker whose goat milk and castile bars I am proud to host. They make the soap. KBA & Co gives it a home, handles the storefront and the checkout, and sends shoppers their way. Same care, same values, their name on their work.
My goal is to grow this into a roof for seven or eight makers. Not competitors stacked against each other, but one of each: one soap maker, one herbalist, one quilter, and so on. A collective storefront means we share an audience instead of each starting from zero.
If you make something good, reach out
This is the part I really wanted to write. If you make natural or handmade goods, and you have ever wondered how to reach more people without building an entire store of your own, I would genuinely love to hear from you.
You keep being the maker and the expert. Your name stays on your work. KBA & Co gives it a beautiful, searchable home and helps it sell. We grow together.
If that sounds like you, meet the collective and reach out here. Tell me what you make and how you make it, and we will see if it is a fit.
This article is for educational purposes and reflects traditional herbal use. It is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before using herbs, especially if pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.
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