Four leading Kansas City entrepreneurs among 2018 Pipeline class
January 26, 2018 | Tommy Felts
The lives of four Kansas City entrepreneurs selected for the 2018 Pipeline class are about to change forever, said Brian Handrigan, Pipeline member and co-founder of St. Louis-based Traaqr.
New fellows were announced Thursday evening at Pipeline’s The Innovators gala, with 13 startup leaders from across the Midwest taking the stage as the first step in joining the growing Pipeline entrepreneur network.
Kansas City’s contingent in the class includes Glen Dakan, founder and CEO of online automotive retailer Prestio; Matt Sellers, co-founder and CEO of the fitness software firm Rack Performance; and former LaunchKC winners Ben Schultz, founder and CEO of the construction scheduling software-as-a-service platform LaborChart, and Linda Van Horn, president and CEO of the medical records platform iShare Medical.
“I know from experience that right now your heads are reeling,” Handrigan said, addressing the whole class Thursday night on stage. “You’re looking out at this packed house and saying, ‘What the hell did I just get myself into?’ Trust us, when we say that this time next year, if you really, really play your cards right, and soak in this year for all it has to offer, you’ll be beaming with pride and excitement for all that you have accomplished.”
Members of each Pipeline class participate in a year-long program that seeks to further develop their entrepreneurial skills and familiarize them with the international Pipeline family. The four-module curriculum culminates in the January gala, The Innovators, at which one fellow is selected as Innovator of the Year. (Click here for more on the 2017 Innovator of the Year award winner announced Thursday.)
In addition to Daken, Sellers, Schultz and Van Horn, 2018 Pipeline fellows include:
- Wichita — Trevor Crotts, Buddy Brands
- St. Louis — Andrew Barnell, Geneoscopy; Johnna Beckham, BOOST Apparel Group; Will Edwards, MetKnow; Robin Rath, Pixel Press Technology; Bryan Sapot, SensrTrx
- Lincoln, Nebraska — Dennis Doerfl, Fourstarzz Media; Ali Schwanke, Simple Strat
- Omaha — Colin Nabity, LeverageRx
Founded in 2006, Kansas City-based Pipeline typically welcomes 10 to 13 entrepreneurs each year for its development program. Now with about 100 alumni, Pipeline derives much of its power from an expansive network that allows members to tap a wealth of connections and resources from other powerful business people in the organization.
Featured Business
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
MidxMidwest teases lineup for three-day investor-innovation event (and the startup party of the year)
Building on Kansas City’s ambitious spirit, a new blend of music, startups and community is expected to meet at the crossroads of innovation, said Alexa Heying, pulling back the curtain on plans for the region’s flagship Midwest tech conference. “The goal of MidxMidwest is to create the connective tissue between founders, investors, and corporates so…
Peek inside: Buffalo State Pizza takes another slice of ownership with fresh-baked downtown OP relocation
Three decades of pizza at a popular downtown Overland Park corner might have come to a close this week, as the crew at Buffalo State Pizza Co. picked up the last of what they could carry and walked it a half block down the street to the shop’s new home near another local favorite, The…
One cabin, one chair, one cut: Barber swaps rushed for rustic at his no-distractions shop in the woods
LONE JACK, Mo. — A short drive to visit this barber — his cabin tucked away in the oaks and hickories about 35 minutes from the heart Kansas City — is about more than just the journey to a great hair cut, Micah Holdaway said; it’s about the experience. After running Barberhouse Men’s Hair Studio in…
Q&A: Troy Nash grew up in public housing; now he’s leading real estate innovation at UMKC
Editor’s note: The following story was written and first published by the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Click here to read the original story. Executive MBA professor named new real estate center director With more than two decades of leadership in public-private partnerships, economic development and community engagement, Troy Nash will serve as director of the Lewis White…