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
Q&A: Startup life isn’t all risk-taking and sexy, big-name investors, Kelly Sievers says
Investing doesn’t just hinge a dollar amount, said Kelly Sievers. “It’s also about finding the right kind of funding for your business,” the Women’s Capital Connection managing director told 26 small business owners at a recent Kansas City SCORE mentoring event. Sievers, an entrepreneurial advisor for the Women’s Business Center, has owned, operated and sold…
Perfect shots: KC lifestyle blogger launches Depalo app to guide users to Instagram hot spots
The perfect Instagram-worthy photo location could be within walking distance right now, said Kansas City-based lifestyle blogger Rebeeca Aneloski. A former Missouri representative on the Miss USA stage, Aneloski launched Depalo in June to help users locate picturesque locations across Kansas City — and eventually the globe, she said. “I [initially] started a blog to continue…
Tech pioneer Don Peterson to guide new LaunchKC-Nueterra health accelerator
Leading the new LaunchKC Health Accelerator is Don Peterson’s way of giving back to a community that opened its arms to his family nearly 30 years ago, he said. “I’m proof that we can accomplish the entrepreneurial dream right here in KC and feel like it’s my duty to pay that forward,” said Peterson, a…
MoCannaHub lights up information prohibition; launches cannabis resource-finding app
Rolled in entrepreneurial opportunity, tech companies shouldn’t be afraid to take a hit of the growing marketplace that is cannabis, said Andrew Ellis, explaining the methodology behind MoCannaHub — the app that connects curious consumers with experts and information of various strains. “Some of the platforms out there are banning cannabis-related content,” explained Ellis, president…