High-profile judges for Kauffman contest includes Marcelo Claure, VCs
October 29, 2015 | Bobby Burch
A star-studded lineup of businesspeople from around the nation will be judging 15 startups in the Kauffman Foundation’s One in a Million pitch contest.
The competition, which will take place on Nov. 17 and 18 during Global Entrepreneurship Week, will award $10,000 to one startup that previously participated in the foundation’s 1 Million Cups program.
Those evaluating all 15 firms and whittling the round to five finalists are: Anita Newton, CMO of Kansas City-based Adknowlege; Sherry Turner, founder of OneKC for Women; Alicia Herald, CEO of myEDmatch; Trey Bowles, CEO of the Dallas Entrepreneur Center; and Nathan Gold, a public speaker known as the “Demo Coach.”
Judges in the competition’s final round of five startups are: Marcelo Claure, CEO of Sprint; Nicole Glaros, chief product officer of Techstars; and Paul Kedrosky, managing partner of SK Ventures.
A panel of judges evaluated 40 contestants’ business plans and pitch videos and then selected the semifinalists to compete for a grand prize of $10,000. Second- and third-place winners will receive $5,000 and $1,000, respectively.
Three Kansas City companies are among the semifinalists in the competition.
The companies representing the Kansas City area are:
- AEGLE Palette, of Shawnee, Kan., which created a digital placemat that helps users monitor and control their dietary intake.
- blooom, of Leawood, Kan., which offers users an online 401k tool that automates management of funds to maximize growth.
- Idle Smart, of Kansas City, Kan., which created automated engine start-stop technology that reduces overnight idle time by 70 percent, reducing costs for fleets by keeping batteries charged and engines warm.
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
These leaders reinvest in other women’s success; a statewide nonprofit says they define the ‘Greater Missouri Woman’
This year’s Greater Missouri Leadership Foundation Women of the Year roster has a distinctly Kansas City flavor. Three of the four honorees at Wednesday’s luncheon event at CPKC Stadium are Kansas City women who lead within their industries and community. The list of awards and recipients includes: Civic Leader of the Year — Dr. DeAngela…
Do The Right Thing: Utopia Point extends ‘beacon of light’ to those left in the shadows, in need of care
The following profile features one of five finalists for the “Do The Right Thing” social impact pitch competition organized by the KC BizCare Office, Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City and Startland News. Finalist features will be published throughout the week. Click here to read more features. Click here to vote for your favorite finalist…
Rock Island Bridge delays opening; over-the-river entertainment hub set to debut spring 2025
The opening of a “destination landmark bridge” — set to reshape Kansas City’s West Bottoms amid an aggressive district-wide redevelopment boom — is now expected to be pushed back to spring 2025 as leaders of the Rock Island Bridge project refine plans for its public debut. “To ensure everything is in place and working at…
This emerging fintech powerhouse is on a roll; how Cyphr models what’s possible with the right backing
On the journey to closing what’s believed to be the largest pre-seed investment raised by two Black women in the fintech industry in Missouri, the co-founders of Kansas City-based Cyphr accepted the challenges in front of them and rode through noise, said Jannae Gammage. “I always knew that raising money as two Black women would…