17 KC entrepreneurs selected to ‘ScaleUP!’
July 29, 2015 | Bobby Burch
A KCSourceLink program that connects high-achieving entrepreneurs with mentors and resources announced its latest brood of businesspeople.
ScaleUp! KC revealed Wednesday a group of 17 Kansas City-area entrepreneurs that hope to kick their businesses into higher gear. The diverse group includes entrepreneurs in such fields as software, transportation, fitness, food and more.
It is the second group that KCSourceLink has welcomed into the program, which aims to fill a gap in the area entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting firms that have significant revenues but require support and expertise to scale.
“We know this second cohort will continue to raise the bar, for their companies and for the Kansas City economy,” Maria Meyers, director of the UMKC Innovation Center and founder of KCSourceLink, said in a release. “With their talent and the education, support and connections they’ll get through the ScaleUP! program, there are no limits to what they’ll be able to accomplish. This is truly what it means to ‘grow your own’ when we talk about building sustainable entrepreneurship and increasing economic opportunities.”
To be accepted, the entrepreneurs must lead a company that’s at least two-years-old, drive annual sales between $150,000 and $750,000, have a market that can generate more than $1 million and determination to exceed that mark.
The second cohort group includes:
- Sharon Auck of Fresh Approach Cleaning Professionals
- Chris Bird of Project Blackbird
- Lori Bryan of Lynch Bryan Consulting
- Russell Criswell of Vulcan’s Forge
- Steve Crockett of Gray Swan Software
- Karl Dunivent of Choice Cabinet KC
- Steve Redmond of FEWDM Fitness
- Kris Fredrickson of TeeQuest Solutions
- Sheldon Gray of Peak Roofing
- Ben Kittrell, DoodleKit
- Sharon Kwon of Korean Restaurant Sobahn
- Patrice Manuel of P/Strada
- Vincent Rodriguez of Velo+ Maps Coffee Roasters
- Chris Rosburg of CR Promotions
- Natasha Shirey of Freedom Transportation
- Joseph Thomas of Joeycuts & 180V Barber|Salon
- Summor White of Sitting Comfortably Pet Care
Jill Meyer, program director of ScaleUP! KC, said the program’s first cohort has scored many successes after graduation. That group also included a variety of industries, including technology, wine, logistics and software. One company, El Padrino Soccer Nation, was named the Kansas City Kansas Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the year.
“We were astounded by the talent, drive and early successes of our first cohort,” Meyer said in a release “We’ve already seen companies make early, significant strides with strategic plans, fresh branding, capital infusions, expansions, new employees.”
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Spanish-language business law class targets KC resource gap
¡Llamando a todos los emprendedores! Language isn’t a barrier to entrepreneurial spirit, Adrienne Haynes said, and it shouldn’t prevent Kansas Citians from finding business success just because they don’t understand the nuances of startup lingo or legal processes. “Whether you’re a black- or brown-owned company, whether you’re woman-owned, whether Spanish is your primary language, or…
Tech startup TVWIZZ puts channel choice in consumers’ hands
You’ve heard it before: Millennials are killing the cable TV industry. With millions of young people “cord cutting” in lieu of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, traditional cable viewership has dropped by more than 40 percent, according to Nielson. For many, it comes down to price, said Michael Hockey, founder of TVWIZZ, a free,…
KCultivator Q&A: Diana Kander on Pitbull, honey badgers, stand-up material
Editor’s note: KCultivators is a lighthearted profile series to highlight people who are meaningfully enriching Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Check out our features on Victor & Penny’s Erin McGrane, SEED Law’s Adrienne Haynes, Code Koalas’ Robert Manigold, Prep-KC CEO Susan Wally and community builder Donald Carter. Early in her career as an innovation coach, Diana…
Startup transforms students into teachers for educators’ diversity training
Conversations about race, power, privilege and oppression are being had across the country every day. And Kiara Butler believes there is no better group to lead these discussions than young people, she said. “Students are already having these conversations every day,” said Butler, co-founder and CEO of Diversity Talks. “It’s the adults that don’t necessarily…