Kauffman Foundation announces winner of 1 in a Million contest
November 15, 2016 | Bobby Burch
Kansas City’s reign atop the national 1 in a Million contest has ended.
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation announced Wednesday that Anchoraged-based Pandere Shoes won the contest, beating out one local finalist and winning $25,000 in the process. The Grooming Project was the sole Kansas City firm left in the competition, which challenges 1 Million Cups presenters from around the U.S. to compete for a $25,000 prize.
Pandere Shoes was founded by Laura Oden, Celia Crossett and Ayla Rogers.
To compete in 1 in a Million, eligible startups had to submit a 60-second video pitch for the prize. Kansas City-based financial tech startup Blooom took home the first prize last year, earning Kansas City bragging rights in the inaugural contest.
The Grooming Project is a nonprofit that teaches at-risk mothers the trade of dog grooming to provide them with an opportunity for a living wage. Founder Natasha Kirsch started the enterprise because she believes that a living wage does more than provide people with money — she wants to elevate and empower women from situations of poverty, crime or abuse.
For reaching the top five of the competition, the company will receive a $5,000 cash prize. To learn more about the Grooming Project, check out Startland’s feature on the firm.
2016 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
BoysGrow bootstrapping on-site culinary center for KC farm
Budding youth entrepreneurs at BoysGrow need more room to cook their farm-to-table meals, John Gordon Jr. said. “The culinary program has really taken off,” said Gordon, founder of BoysGrow, a nonprofit that teaches inner-city boys entrepreneurial skills through farming. “We were wanting to grow that aspect of BoysGrow, but our farm has a small, residential…
Flu season, ‘Good Morning America’ give Sickweather a booster shot
It’s not every day a Hall of Fame football player pitches your product. And while it wasn’t a flawless performance, Sickweather isn’t complaining about “Good Morning America” host Michael Strahan’s effort to highlight the Kansas City-based company’s illness forecasting tech during a flu season segment, CEO Graham Dodge said. “We had no control over how…
Moran wants Congress to settle net neutrality in favor of ‘free and open’ internet
Congress should have the final say on net neutrality — not federal regulators who change with each presidential administration, say a growing number of U.S. senators, including Kansas’ Jerry Moran. “Consumers want an internet that is free of content-based discrimination and supports the deployment of reliable, affordable broadband access throughout the country,” said Sen. Moran,…
Ginsburg’s Podcast Preview: Creative Warriors connects solopreneurs with essential tools
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. If you’re new to either podcasts or this occasional column, click here for background information. We preview specific podcasts to reveal their topics, formats and lessons from listening. Featured Podcast The Creative Warriors podcast primarily benefits the solopreneur seeking growth, efficiency and profitability…