Batters up! Voting now open for KCSourceLink All-Star competition
June 4, 2018 | Startland News Staff
When the Royals take the field June 18 at Kauffman Stadium, more than a dozen freshly crowned KCSourceLink All-Star honorees will be catching accolades.
But first: You have to vote.
KCSourceLink’s final round of balloting has begun for the All-Star selection, which coincides with the network’s 15-year celebration during Entrepreneur Day at the K. Dozens of leaders, connectors and innovators are among the candidates for the 15 All-Star awards.
Click here to cast your votes through Friday June 8.
Nominations for the awards closed May 30 and were drawn from KCSourceLink’s Resource Partner Network, including individuals affiliated with a nonprofit, educational, governmental, and/or entrepreneurial support organization in the Kansas City metro area.
Winners are expected to be announced during the E Day at the K tailgating event 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. June 18 at Kauffman Stadium. The event is sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. A ticket to the June 18 matchup between the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers is not required for the E Day at the K tailgating party.
“It has taken a village — and time — to build Kansas City entrepreneurship and a resource network that helps entrepreneurs along every step of their journey, from inception to exit,” KCSourceLink said. “And we need your help to celebrate it.”

KCSourceLink All-Star awards include:
- World Series Trophy (most successful supporter)
- Golden Glove (assists other Resource Partners)
- Iron Man Award (longest tenure)
- Outstanding Coaching Award (excellence in execution)
- Hank Aaron Award for Hitting (best at making referrals)
- Utility Infielder (flexibility)
- Most Assists (selfless in supporting the network)
- Homerun Derby Winner (out-of-the-park responsiveness)
- Silver Slugger (delivers every time)
- Cy Young Award (on target problem solving)
- Fanatical Fan (enthusiasm for the network)
- Slugger Award (most supportive of the network)
- Manager of the Year (motivational)
- Most Valuable Player (most active in network)
- Roberto Clemente Award for Sportsmanship (team player)
Featured Business

2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Union Station tapped for GEWKC base camp; training for treps arrives Nov. 19-21 in KC
When GEWKC pulls into Kansas City this fall, the metro’s largest educational entrepreneurship event will be stationed within one of the community’s crown jewels — a link to the past that points to a brighter future for the regions’ innovators, said Chante Keller. KCSourceLink on Thursday formally announced Union Station as the 2024 base camp…
NXTSTAGE announces trio of KC ventures tapped for latest Enterprise Engagement cohort
A record number of Kansas entrepreneurs joining the NXTSTAGE Enterprise Engagement Series means the program’s latest cohort will scale up its impact, said Amber Dunn. “It’s exciting to witness the relationships formed and the knowledge gained among cohort members and our enterprise partners, both new and returning,” said Dunn, program manager at Wichita-based NXTUS, which…
This startup leader is revealing entrepreneur answers (and they’re listed in the table of contents)
Aligning the stars as a forward-looking founder and business owner isn’t easy, Maria Flynn noted, so she wrote her own guidebook. “Entrepreneurs are my tribe of people,” said Flynn, a serial founder and regional digital health leader. “And I was telling the same stories over and over again, so I started to write them down.…
He earned industry cred alongside Ariana Grande; now Jo Blaq wants to share the music with emerging KC artists
Joseph Macklin forged a successful music career through trial and error, he said, but that doesn’t mean the next generation should be forced to endure those same challenges just to feel like they earned credibility. The multi-platinum, Grammy award-nominated music producer, songwriter, engineer, and vocal arranger — known as Jo Blaq — is on a…
