ScaleUP! KC announces eighth cohort of firms eyeing serious growth

August 24, 2018  |  Startland News Staff

2018 ScaleUP! Kansas City cohort

The ScaleUP! Kansas City program has welcomed another large batch of growing companies hoping to accelerate their businesses.

ScaleUP announced Wednesday that it accepted 17 Kansas City area companies into its ranks, offering the firms mentorship, resources and connections.

The new cohort of entrepreneurs represent varied industries, such as IT, wellness, landscaping, education, architecture and more, said Jill Meyer, program director of ScaleUP! KC. Including the latest group of businesses, ScaleUP! Has helped 126 companies grow through its free program, amplifying their economic impact in the region, she added.

Year after year, we see that ScaleUP! KC is such a vital program for the city’s small business owners — and you can see that in the numbers,” Meyer said.

With two cohorts per year, the program helps qualified businesses with revenues above $200,000 reach their expansion goals by leveraging and expanding existing proven programs, synergies and connections in the Kansas City region, according to ScaleUP!

ScaleUP! is funded through a grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and administered by the UMKC Innovation Center.

Here’s more on the 17 business leaders now in the ScaleUP! program.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

2018 Startups to Watch

    stats here

    Related Posts on Startland News

    Biz class to barista: UMKC student’s mobile matcha cart hand-whisks crowds of thirsty fans

    By Tommy Felts | November 10, 2025

    Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. HerCafe, a matcha business founded by a University of Missouri-Kansas City student and her friend, has found success with its weekend…

    Tim Tebow to entrepreneurs: Embrace the heavy lift if you want to reap life’s real profits

    By Tommy Felts | November 7, 2025

    COLUMBIA, Mo. — Business should be about driving impact, not just scoring another win, said former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow — challenging Midwest entrepreneurs, community builders, and investors to consider outcomes that boost others, not just one’s personal pocketbook. “Probably everybody in this room has been super blessed with skill sets, resources, relationships, opportunities, companies,…

    Here’s how a Prospect renewal project invests in both those who built KC and the city’s future

    By Tommy Felts | November 7, 2025

    Economic development initiatives are measured not just in buildings, but in opportunity, said Melissa Patterson Hazley, lauding the use of the Central City Economic Development (CCED) Sales Tax Program to transform underutilized parcels in Kansas City into modern, energy-efficient housing that support long-term neighborhood vitality. “Projects like Prospect Summit represent the intentional work of making…

    Fusing talent, passion: Serial founder trades his Screamin Cow for offshore talent hiring platform 

    By Tommy Felts | November 6, 2025

    Brad Starnes’ itch to lean into a newly realized pain point at the end of 2024 led to the acquisition of his Screamin Cow Marketing Group and the launch of another passion project, the former UMKC Student Entrepreneur of the Year shared. With the move — which sees Screamin Cow transitioned to Builders of Authority…