Meet Chris
A Life of Service, Built Through Action
Chris Goode is a Kansas City community builder, small business owner, and civic leader whose work has been shaped by faith, perseverance, and nearly two decades of hands-on service.
Born on July 23, 1984 at Truman Medical Center, Chris is a product of Kansas City. Both of his parents were born in the Third District and faced significant challenges while raising four children. Their determination laid the foundation for Chris’s lifelong commitment to responsibility and service. After his family moved to South Kansas City, Chris graduated from Ruskin High School and later earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with an emphasis in Entrepreneurship from Missouri State University.
While at Missouri State, Chris walked on to the football team and eventually earned a scholarship through persistence and discipline. He also served as Chapter President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, balanced a summer internship, participated in the College Entrepreneurs Organization, and remained active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. These experiences shaped a leadership style rooted in accountability, teamwork, and faith.
After returning home in 2006, Chris committed himself to public service, volunteering on a mayoral campaign shortly after college. That decision marked a pattern that continues to define his life. See a gap, show up, do the work, and stay long enough to create change.
Chris later completed a six-course Public Leadership credential and capstone through Harvard Kennedy School, where he studied stakeholder engagement, public problem-solving, and collaborative leadership alongside peers from around the world. The experience sharpened his ability to work across perspectives while staying focused on tangible outcomes.
As an entrepreneur, Chris founded Ruby Jean’s Juicery, the first 100 percent health-focused food business on the East Side of Kansas City. What began as a small business became a civic platform rooted in access, dignity, and wellbeing. Despite enduring repeated break-ins, Chris remained committed to place-based investment and became a leading voice advocating for real support for small businesses impacted by crime.
From Ruby Jean’s grew a broader ecosystem of impact. Chris authored Ruby Jean’s Garden, a children’s book promoting literacy and healthier lifestyles. The work earned the City of Kansas City’s Community Champion Award and later contributed to a regional Emmy Award through Visit KC. Ruby Jean’s has since received national visibility through Good Morning America and National Geographic’s Black Travel Across America, which featured Chris’s grandmother and was displayed globally on Disney platforms.
Chris’s approach to economic development is rooted in sweat equity and real risk. He helped transform 2902 Wabash from a blighted and unsafe site into a productive garden providing fresh food, safety, and renewed possibility. Along Troost, his work includes brokering real estate deals, revitalizing neglected properties, and reimagining spaces such as Patio 3000 and the Art Hall at Ruby Jean’s, where artists retain 100 percent of their profits while building business skills.
Chris has also played a role in shaping Kansas City’s civic landscape. He has spent nearly seven years helping revitalize the historic Paseo stairs, supported the renaming of JC Nichols Parkway, advocated for the recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a dedicated street, helped deliver a critical crosswalk connecting South Moreland Park to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and envisioned a pedestrian bridge providing children safe access to MLK Park, later funded through federal investment.
His service includes appointments to the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Board, the Kansas City Health Commission, the World War I Museum and Memorial Board of Trustees, and the Visit KC Convention and Tourism Board. Chris also serves on the Board of Directors of Operation Breakthrough, becoming the first former participant to join the board in the organization’s more than 50-year history.
Across nearly two decades, Chris has mentored young people and entrepreneurs, served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence for WEPOWER, taught healthy food preparation to under-resourced youth, spoken to students of all ages, and remained grounded in daily acts of stewardship within his community.
Accomplishments
Chris Goode is running for Kansas City Council to bring lived experience, earned trust, and nearly twenty years of hands-on leadership to City Hall in service of the city that raised him.
Civic & Cultural Leadership
Coordinated Sunday Dinner, a 400-person Juneteenth event at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, amplifying Black art and civic unity.
Served on multiple boards and commissions, including:
Kansas City Parks and Recreation Board (2019–2021, Mayoral appointment)
Kansas City Health Commission
World War I Museum and Memorial Board of Trustees
Visit KC (Convention & Tourism) Board
Board of Directors, Operation Breakthrough (first former participant to serve)
Hosted and endorsed elected officials across multiple levels of government using Ruby Jean’s as a civic platform.
Hosted LeBron James in Kansas City in 2008 and 2010, contributing to citywide engagement and visibility.
Youth Engagement & Mentorship
Mentored young people from kindergarten through college over many years.
Taught healthy food preparation to under-resourced youth.
Hosted educational activities including book readings, networking events, and health expos.
Created safe and inspiring spaces for youth at Ruby Jean’s Garden, Patio 3000, and Art Hall.
Education & Formation
Bachelor of Science in Business Management with emphasis in Entrepreneurship from Missouri State University.
Walked on to the Missouri State football team and earned a scholarship through perseverance.
Served as Chapter President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity; active in College Entrepreneurs Organization and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Completed six-course Public Leadership Credential with Capstone from Harvard Kennedy School, focusing on stakeholder engagement and collaborative leadership.
Faith, Personal Resolve & Community Stewardship
Faith is central to leadership and capacity for long-term service.
Persevered through eight business break-ins, using the experience to advocate for small business support.
Personally picks up trash at community locations such as 31st and Troost bus stop, modeling civic responsibility.
Awards & Recognition
City of Kansas City Community Champion Award
Regional Emmy Award via Visit KC
National visibility for Ruby Jean’s through Good Morning America and National Geographic documentary