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
How can edtech startups tell if their products work? LEANLAB partners research tech use in real KC classrooms
A rebooted accelerator concept for LEANLAB Education put four edtech companies into Kansas City classrooms this spring — focusing more on helping founders conduct research on their products inside of schools and de-emphasizing previous entrepreneur training aspects of LEANLAB’s programming. “As the first program of its kind in the U.S., this inaugural cohort represents a turning…
Stackify sells to West Coast competitor; stacking another exit for startup veteran Matt Watson
Two of the country’s fastest growing companies have joined forces as Leawood-built Stackify reaches its exit, the tech startup announced Tuesday. Huntington Beach, California-based Netreo has acquired the company in an undisclosed deal, expected to enhance the IT infrastructure management (ITIM) platform’s full-stack IT monitoring and AIOps offerings — significantly boosting its overall customer experience. …
SnapIT sees 100 percent jump in female tech students; builds on ‘Future of Work’ summit
As the job market shifts in a post-pandemic world, an Overland Park company reports virtual training options and changes in coastal employer mindsets have opened access for women in tech like never before. “COVID created a situation where working from home has become a long-term solution, leading to more opportunities for the Midwest [talent overall],”…
‘Not an over-glorified hobby’: Comic book creator designs app to help vendors find conventions, sketch path to profitability
Juaquan Herron spent countless hours actively searching for comic conventions to share and sell his work — often feeling frustrated after learning about conventions too late, he recalled. “Especially starting out in the industry, I didn’t have many friends and wasn’t finding out about vending opportunities,” said Herron, who founded 2923 Comics and created the…
