Bevy of area businessmen are EY award finalists
April 27, 2016 | Bobby Burch
Eight Kansas City-area businessmen are now finalists for a national entrepreneurship award.
Ranging from techies to whiskey-makers, the regional finalists of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards recognize those “who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses.” Sponsored in part by the Kansas City-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, EY operates its award programs in more than 145 cities across more than 60 countries.
A group of judges selected a total of 22 entrepreneurs in the Central Midwest region, which is comprised of Kansas and Missouri. Winners of the awards will be announced June 16 at Kansas City’s Midland Theatre.
Finalists from the Kansas City-area are:
- Andy Rieger, Kansas City-based J. Rieger & Co.
- Neal Sharma, Overland Park-based DEG
- Case Dorman, Overland Park-based Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue
- Kelly Mann, Lenexa-based Mediware Information Systems
- Chris Long, Mission Woods-based Palmer Square Capital Management
- Nathan Ferman, Grandview-based Perfection Floor Tile
- David Chinnery, Blue Springs-based Adams Dairy Bank
- Bob Bagby, Liberty-based B&B Theatres
Three Kansas City-area businessmen nabbed the award last year: Jody Brazil, Overland Park-based Firemon; Bill Zahner, Kansas City-based A Zahner Company; and Matthew Perry, Kansas City-based GENESYS Systems Integrator.
Featured Business

2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
KCultivator: Plexpod founder Gerald Smith on Internet trolls, anti-gravity machines, man crush
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 innovation coach Diana Kander, Victor & Penny’s Erin McGrane, SEED Law’s Adrienne Haynes, Code Koalas’ Robert Manigold, Prep-KC CEO Susan Wally and community builder Donald Carter. Plexpod is more than a shared…
LaunchKC $100K winner Cambrian Tech taking simple idea to new reality
After winning LaunchKC’s grand prize — $100,000 — Cambrian Tech has its virtual eyes on another prize: total interior home transformation. “The goal is to open your phone, walk around and visualize any project you may consider doing,” co-founder Joel Teply said. “From walls, countertops, backsplashes, flooring, cabinetry, appliances, hardware and landscaping.” DIY tech presents…
Techstars Spotlight: Somatic Labs’ sees freedom from distraction in touch tech
Somatic Labs is designing a technology for a future without screens, founder Shantanu Bala said. Imagine this: You’re driving in an unfamiliar neighborhood and instead of needing to look at your phone for directions, your wearable device uses physical sensations to direct you to your destination, keeping your eyes on the road. Or maybe you’re…
Code for Kansas City hacking into fifth year; more civic hackers needed
After five years hacking, Code for Kansas City is expanding its reach with new projects and avenues for using the brigade’s coding and technology skills to identify and match problems in the community with potential solutions. A fifth annual hackathon event this weekend — the National Day of Civic Hacking or HackKC — illustrates the…
