Urban Hikes KC founder Lisa Pena shares how Peace Corps grit, a side-hustle podcast spark, and love of Kansas City became a full-time walking tour business celebrating history, art, and local small businesses.
Lisa Pena recounts starting Urban Hikes KC in 2019—turning a Girl Scouts side hustle into a full-time company—drawing on Peace Corps persistence and collaboration to guide locals through KC neighborhoods, art, history, and small businesses.
About the speaker
Lisa Peña is the founder of Urban Hikes Kansas City, where she turns ordinary sidewalks into story trails—part workout, part neighborhood deep-dive. A KCK native and former Peace Corps health volunteer, Lisa has a gift for helping people see beauty in the details all around Kansas City: the murals you’ve walked past, the histories tucked into side streets, and the local places that give a block its pulse. She launched Urban Hikes KC in 2019, inspired by Alex Kenin of Urban Hiker San Francisco, and now leads experiences in English and Spanish. Lisa is a Sumner Academy graduate and holds an MPA from UMKC.
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Hosted by
Crossroads Hotel KC
2101 Central St.
Kansas City, MO United States 64108
Date
Partners
Crossroads Hotel Kansas City
Mr. D's Donuts
Andrew Bash with Element Sothebys International Realty
Messenger Coffee
