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
Superstars pack KC Chamber celebration with gratitude; thankful for a space to belong when many feel lost
Julie Cortes beamed as she took in the energy of Kansas City’s small business community Tuesday evening — surrounded by hundreds of her fellow Small Business Superstars and a crowd eager to build an emerging spirit of entrepreneurship. “It feels so amazing to be here,” Cortes, founder of Freelance Rockstar, said from inside the packed…
Ixtapa closes JoCo favorite; owner says he won’t compromise family recipes or up prices as food, rent costs rise
Ixtapa Fine Mexican Cuisine has closed in Johnson County after five years. Co-owner Victor Esqueda blamed rising costs — rent, ingredients and more — for the closing of the restaurant at 7305 W. 95th St. in Overland Park, near the sprawling Shamrock Trading Company campus. “Everything has increased so much — food, alcohol 20 to…
Coffee cluster percolating on one Troost block; will business support the buzz of six spaces to sip?
A new stretch of coffee shops in the 5500 block of Troost will test the caffeine tolerance of folks seeking a fix. Six options soon fill out the menu along this bustling corridor. Blackhole Bakery, High Hopes Ice Cream and The Littlest Bake Shop currently offer coffee along with their core menu items. But Blackhole…
Rally unifies voices amid attacks on immigrants, LGBT+ rights; now it’s time to make noise, organizers say
As anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies seeking to dismantle DEI efforts ramp up, Danny Soriano has seen inquiries and communication to his digital media business noticeably slow down, the Latino entrepreneur said. “Clients [suddenly seem] deterred from going with me — as opposed to somebody who’s not of color or white,” explained Soriano, the founder of…