New ScaleUp! cohort vies for $1M in revenue

There’s a new batch of entrepreneurs in town ready to take their companies to the $1 million level.

ScaleUp! Kansas City on Tuesday announced its fourth cohort of business owners. The 17 entrepreneurs will spend an intensive four months learning how to scale their businesses through specialized curriculum, coaching and networking.

The program offers business owners the time away from day-to-day operations to focus on planning for the future, said Jill Meyer, program director of ScaleUP! KC.

“ScaleUP! Kansas City continues to fill a key and vital gap in our entrepreneurial ecosystem,” she said in a release. “Building a business is hard and lonely work and business owners spend a lot of time working in their businesses, but rarely have the time or resources to work on their businesses. ScaleUP! KC gives them that perspective and gives us a chance to provide mentoring and training to these businesses that are so key to our economic growth.”

To date, 48 Kansas City businesses have entered the program. Alumni include entrepreneurs in such industries as architecture, software, transportation, fitness, food and more. Companies entering ScaleUp! meet three qualifications: they have been in business for at least two years, generate annual sales of between $150,000 and $750,000 and operate in a market that can generate more than $1 million in sales.

This most recent class promises to be one of the best yet, said Maria Meyers, director of the UMKC Innovation Center. UMKC operates ScaleUp! KC in partnership with KCSourceLink.

“We know this fourth cohort will continue to raise the bar, for their companies and for the Kansas City economy,” Meyers 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.”

And now, to unveil the fourth cohort:

• Erin Bardon, BNB Design, Bonner Springs, Kansas: BNB Design is an architecture and interior design firm that has designed more than two million square feet of space for commercial, multifamily housing, healthcare and government projects.

• Jacob Bourret, Innovating Solutions, Belton, Missouri: Innovating Solutions — inventor of Tappecue — is a tech company that develops smart and easy-to-use gadgets.

• Germaine Chappell, Chappell Electric, Kansas City, Missouri: Chappell Electric provides electrical wiring, lighting system installation for new construction and renovation projects.

• Ryan Deveney, Studio Build, Kansas City, Missouri: Studio Build combines architectural, builder and designer processes to provide master builder services for both commercial and residential projects.

• Luke Einsel, Thirsty Coconut, Olathe, Kansas: Thirsty Coconut is a healthy food service distributor for schools, universities, hospitals and corporations.

• Georgina Herrera, Mackech Jewelry, Overland Park, Kansas: Mackech Jewelry designs and distributes Mayan-inspired fine jewelry throughout Mexico and the United States.

• Philip Lopez, Arboles Tree Trimming, Kansas City, Kansas: Arboles Tree Trimming provides tree-trimming services to both residential and commercial clients throughout the Kansas City area.

• Philip Mabion, Bethlehem Home Healthcare, Kansas City, Missouri: Bethlehem Home Healthcare is a home health care company that provides nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, aide and attendant care at patients’ homes.

• Habte Mesfin, Revocup Coffee Corp, Overland Park, Kansas: Revocup is a coffee roasting company and coffee shop that pledges 10 cents of every dollar received to assist coffee farmers around the world.

• Ronald Mirick, Cass County Choppers, Pleasant Hill, Missouri: Cass County Choppers/Trikes created a bolt-on trike kit for motorcycle riders, as well as manufacturing parts for turret press machines.

• Brandon O’Dell, Friend That Cooks, Shawnee, Kansas: Friend That Cooks personal chefs offer weekly in-home meal prep for families with busy schedules, food allergies or special diets.

• Ryan Sciara, Underdog Wine Co., Kansas City, Missouri: Underdog Wine Co. is a retail wine and spirits store that organizes its beverages by weight and flavor profile rather than by country and varietal.

• Christina Scott, Shamerrific Shine, Overland Park, Kansas: Shamerrific Shine is an eco-friendly auto detailing and hand car wash service.

• Kunjan Shah, Quark Studios, Overland Park, Kansas: Quark Studios provides web and mobile solutions for government organizations and enterprise-level businesses.

• Dana Ward, Great Day Moving, Kansas City, Kansas: Great Day Moving is a moving company providing both residential and commercial services both locally or long-distance.

• Cecilio Webb, Webb Technology Group, Kansas City, Missouri: Webb Technology Group’s designs technology solutions to make the everyday connection better.

• Kenneth Yancy, mobile.earth, Kansas City, Missouri: Mobile.earth is a software development and telecommunications company specializing in responsive websites, mobile apps, target mobile outreach/marketing and custom software.