Meet the BetaBlox startups ahead of Demo Day

Kansas City-based accelerator BetaBlox is gearing up for its annual culminating event to highlight startups in its current class.

Set for Monday, BetaBlox’s Demo Day offers a stage for its 10 startup firms to pitch their businesses to investors, area residents and fellow entrepreneurs. While also a showcase of its startups, BetaBlox hopes the Demo Day will engage the broader community. BetaBlox co-founder Weston Bergmann said that he hopes the event inspires future entrepreneurs.

Each startup will have three minutes to pitch their firm and will be available afterward to mingle with attendees. The full-day event — which has morning, afternoon and evening pitch sessions — will be hosted at the National World War I Museum & Memorial.

Let’s learn more about each BetaBlox firm.

BlueHollar is a virtual contractor for homeowners, offering payment and scheduling services, as well as verification and background checks on contractors.

Co-founders: Kalen Barker and Bryant Callahan

Biggest takeaway from the BetaBlox experience?

“BetaBlox gave us an incredible platform of knowledge for building our startup. Not only did the skills we learned help us grow as a new business, but they remained relevant as we scaled, sustaining us with each new stage of growth.”

Little Class Records is a record label for indie musicians. Little Class Records provides artists with unlimited studio and helps produce albums and merchandise.

Founder: Jody Hendrix

Biggest takeaway from the BetaBlox experience?

“Betablox has been essential in teaching us about marketing in the digital age. We’ve grown leaps and bounds because of the philosophies and teachings within the incubator.”

Catalyst Scrubs makes medical scrubs for social good, working with companies that employ disadvantaged women to ensure fair wages and sustainable businesses.

Founder: Holly Godfrey

Biggest takeaway from the BetaBlox experience?

“The startup sector in Kansas City is not about competition; it’s about community. The successes, setbacks, sleepless nights and endless questions are more easily navigated when shared with those on the same journey. We need each other, and we are better together.”

 Stratex Solutions offers strategy software to enhance businesses’ operations.

Co-founders: Dr. Raina Knox and Courtney Cole

Biggest takeaway from the BetaBlox experience?

“Our experiences over the last year have been far more rewarding than I would have dreamed when I submitted my application. The learning has been one of the most rewarding elements, delivered by the BetaBlox curriculum, our startup peers, and the amazing mentors. The progress our company has made over the last year far exceeds what I could ever have hoped for going it alone. BetaBlox works.”

Scholarlyy’s tech allows students to sell textbooks with a text message, paying cash and offering on-campus pickup.  

Founder: Daniel C. Segalo

Biggest takeaway from the BetaBlox experience?

“My biggest takeaway from BetaBlox is the education. I thought my MBA qualified me for running a business, but quickly learned that a startup is an entirely different animal. Betablox taught me how to take a simple concept to market in a very short period of time by using science and data.”

Bandhack created a suite of software to help bands with merchandising, album distribution and more.

Founder: Jason Conley

Biggest takeaway from the BetaBlox experience?

“I’m a builder. I love solving issues with software. BetaBlox has taught us how to constantly re-evaluate our solutions from feedback and how developing in a void is a bad thing. We wasted so much time before BetaBlox and consider BetaBlox to be a direct contributor to our current success.”

PowerUp PowerDown created a nootropic supplement that improve cognitive function.

Co-founders: Ralph and Carol Maser

Biggest takeaway from the BetaBlox experience?

“Our biggest takeaway from BetaBlox is the power of the mentorship, the alliance with the other entrepreneurs in the program and how the support doesn’t end after the initial 6 months. The classes are very relevant, and even though we started over a year ago, we continually use and grow from the concepts.”

Yurjury created a crowdsourced mock trial platform to help attorneys win cases.

Co-founders: Chris and Susan Lucas

Biggest takeaway from the BetaBlox experience?

“Our greatest takeaway is to keep trying different avenues to grow your business. A close second would be the kick-in-the-pants we need to get the things done that are priorities.”

Apple Pie Painting offers mobile painting parties for groups.

Co-founders: Joey and April Kramer

Biggest takeaway from the BetaBlox experience?

“Our biggest takeaway from the BetaBlox incubator is that we have learned how to create a truly scalable company, and have done so in a fraction of the time it would have taken us on our own. We never could have gotten where we are now without the direction, mentoring, guidance and support we have received since joining BetaBlox.”

Chocolate Cork offers wine and chocolate pairing kits, wine classes and wine pairing events.

Founder: Keri Lauderdale Olson

Biggest takeaway from the BetaBlox experience?

BetaBlox helped me switch from a corporate mindset to an entrepreneurial one. I learned to test small and learn quickly. Within a year, Chocolate Cork went from a concept to a viable business.