Christopher Goode
Christopher Goode’s late Grandmother had a significant impact on his young life, and even to this day, Christopher finds ways to honor her legacy but more on that in a minute.
Christopher grew up in Kansas City and went to Missouri State University in the fall of 2002.
After college, he spent ten years utilizing his unique capabilities and experiences across several industries, including insurance & claims adjusting, event management, construction, and business operations.
A documentary and a juice cleanse changed Christopher's life trajectory and, in turn, the lives of so many in KC and beyond.
Christopher Founded Ruby Jeans Juicery, named after his late grandmother, in the summer of 2015 with a location on 30th and Troost, the first ever healthy biz on the East side in KC history. Ruby Jeans Juicery strives to create genuinely healthy beverages and snacks in a welcoming and all-inclusive environment for its customers.
Ruby Jean’s offers cold-pressed juices, smoothies, vegan/gluten-free entrees, and grab-and-go salad & snack options and is strategically located in areas with limited nutrition-rich food choices. They recently licensed a smoothie with the KC Current.
Ruby Jeans has three locations, one on 30th and Troost, one inside the Whole Foods Market (WF) in Brookside, the first-ever black-owned brick-and-mortar business in WF, and the newest store opened in Leawood in 2022. In late 2022, they were working on expanding into more than 30 regional WF stores. WF named Ruby Jean’s Supplier of the Year for the Rocky Mountain region.
Through the Ruby Jean Foundation, they launched a pilot project in 2022 with three KC Public Schools to deliver cold-pressed juices to the schools, which allows the students free access to fresh, healthy products. In addition, Ruby Jean’s adopted the first-ever bus stop in KCATA history at 31st & Troost, a stop his family utilized years ago.
Christopher was honored by Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City in Nov 2022 with their KC Innovator Award. The award is presented to those that positively disrupt their industries, create jobs and opportunities, and apply innovation to solve critical social and economic problems.
On top of owning Ruby Jeans, Christopher is active in the community, sitting on several boards, including Operation Breakthrough and Menorah Medical. He is also actively working to revitalize the Paseo Stairs and adjacent hillside, to rename Troost to TRUTH Ave, and help 15 and Mahomies envision the new MLK Park.
Christopher recently completed his Harvard Leadership Policy Certificate and is currently featured on a global show by National Geographic: “Black Travel Across America,”
Christopher comes to mind when I think about someone dedicating themselves to their community. Not only will he continue to provide Kansas City with healthy and delicious food and juice, but he will keep fighting to make Kansas City an equitable place for all to live.
Please visit their website to learn more.
Website: www.rubyjeansjuicery.com