On a cold November night over drinks, an editor from The Kansas City Star with an idea met a woman who owned a design agency.

During the 2015 Kansas City Royals World Series run, Kathy Lu really wanted an emoji keyboard with the coolest KC icons so she could share the city pride she felt. In fact, she thought, any city could and should have its own emoji keyboard.

Emily Elmore — digital, design and emoji extraordinaire — knew exactly what a Kansas City emoji keyboard would look like. Not only that, she also saw the potential application for businesses and cities in a way that meshed with her vision for her company, Single Wing Creative.

So, in 2016, Emoji My City was born.

The Single Wing Creative team has been the design and development force behind it all. (And don’t miss out on the team’s Chippmoji keyboard for Chippendales!)

In the years since, Kansas City emojis have been shared thousands of times. In 2019, the concept was updated and relaunched as a sticker and GIF pack with more images and team spirit.

We can’t wait to see Emoji My City take over the world, one city at a time.

Next stop: Las Vegas!

Reach Kathy at kathy@em.city. Reach Emily at emily@singlewingcreative.com.