Techweek 100 list released: Dozens of KC’s top cultivators, ambassadors and innovators
September 22, 2018 | Startland Staff
Techweek Kansas City on Friday released its Techweek 100 list of the premier leaders pushing innovation in Kansas City. The collection of cultivators, ambassadors and innovators is a who’s who of familiar names across the startup, entrepreneurship and tech communities.
Released in the runup to Techweek KC’s Oct. 8-12 festivities, the list isn’t a ranking, Techweek organizers stressed — rather it’s a celebration of fast-growing companies, prominent investors, key enablers of the digital ecosystem, creators of new technologies, and other innovators that make important contributions to their field.
Click here for tickets to Techweek.
Making the List
Techweek 100 honorees have displayed the following characteristics, according to the selection committee for the list:
- Originality — Their efforts pushed boundaries and disrupted traditional practices;
- Prominence — Their authority is respected throughout their technology ecosystem and they are seen as a pillar of the community;
- Growth — A company, under their tutelage, has accomplished great feats, including: new product launches, securing new rounds of funding, acquisitions, exits, or the momentous IPO;
- Gumption — Courage and drive led them to navigate their company through the startup world and continue to push to achieve a major goal; and
- Pertinence — Their leadership has a public impact in the growth of their technological ecosystem.
Honorees in each of the three categories are divided as follows:
- Cultivators — Venture capital firms and funds, incubators, educational institutions, and other organizations that support and enable the tech ecosystem;
- Ambassadors — Founders, influencers, and prominent voices who act as positive representatives for the tech community; and
- Innovators — Companies, both established organizations and rising startups, shaping their industries via innovative technology.
Below are the 2018 Techweek 100 honorees, which were nominated by their peers. Check out the selection criteria and descriptions of the three categories on the right.
Cultivators
- Lesa Mitchell — managing director, Techstars
- John Fein — founder, managing partner, Firebrand Ventures
- Thad Langford — general partner, Flyover Capital
- Doug Dresslaer — managing director, Sprint Accelerator
- Maria Meyers — executive director, KCSourcelink
- Jeff Shackelford — executive director, Digital Sandbox
- Darcy Howe — founder, managing director, KCRise Fund
- Matthew Marcus — chief engagement officer, Kansas City Startup Foundation
- Gerald Smith — founder, CEO, Plexpod
- Eric Wullschleger — community director, WeWork
- Joni Cobb — president, CEO, Pipeline
- Ed Wilson — partner, Husch Blackwell
- Aaron Deacon — managing director, KC Digital Drive
- Zach Pettet — managing director, Fountain City Fintech
- Bill Anderson — executive director, Missouri Technology Corporation
- Melissa Roberts — vice president of communications and outreach, Enterprise Center of Johnson County
- Fred Coulson — founder, 5 Elms Capital
- Ryan Weber — president, KC Tech Council
- Jill Meyer — senior business development and commercialization consultant
- Bob Bennett — CIO, City of Kansas City, Missouri
- Wes Bergman — founder, BetaBlox
- Quest Moffat — founder, Project United Knowledge
- Jon Cook — CEO, VML
- Wendy Guillies — president, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
- Jennifer Wadella — founder, president, Kansas City Women in Technology
- Martha McCabe — executive director, KC STEM Alliance
- Michael Gelphman — CEO, Dare Mighty Things
- Ron LeMay — managing director, OPENAIR Equity Partners
- Herb Sih — co-founder, managing partner, Think Big Partners
- Mike McRoberts — McRobert Consulting
- Mark Malmberg — Nerdery
- Jason Trachsel — CEO, Allied Global
- Jene Hong — CPA, mergers and acquistions, O’Keefe & O’Malley
- Katie Boody — founder, CEO, LEANLAB
- Carlos Antequera — co-founder, managing director, Novel Growth Partners
- Kevin McGinnis — founder, McGinnis & Associates
- George Brooks — founder, CEO, Crema
- Angela Hurt — founder, CEO, Veracity Consulting
- Todd Fitzpatrick — vice president of commercial banking, First Business Bank
- Laura Brady — partner, Royal Street Ventures
- Michael Helmstetter — co-founder, president, CEO, Tech Acceleration Partners
- Eric Garretson, CFO, NBKC Bank
- Nathan Oleen, partner, Husch Blackwell
Ambassadors
- Richard Amos — CTO, American Century Investments
- Don Peterson — CEO, Tornaire
- Matt Condon — founder, CEO, Bardavon Health Innovations
- Brian Unruh — CEO, NBKC Bank
- Jeff Simon — managing partner, Husch Blackwell
- Chris Giuliani — CEO, Spring Venture Group
- Greg Kratofil — partner, Polsinelli
- Christine Murray — senior director of programs, Greater KC Chamber of Commerce
- Gary Fish — CEO, Fishtech Labs
- Jessica Palm — managing director, Team KC
- Toby Rush — senior director, international technology investments, Ant Financial
- Eric Danielson — director of science and technology, JE Dunn
- Scott Lippert — managing partner, BalancePoint
- Jeanette Prenger — president, CEO, ECCO Select
- Kimberly Beatty — chancellor, Metro Community Colleges
- Josh Rowland — CEO, vice chairman, Lead Bank
- Michele Weigand — chief transformation officer, Honeywell
- Rachel Merlo — community manager, Google Fiber
- Anita Newton — chief innovation officer, Community America Credit Union
- Dave Cummings — CEO, Tradebot
- Laurie Minard — vice president of human resources, Garmin International
- Dale Werts — partner, Lathrop & Gage
- Todd Pleiman — managing partner, RubinBrown
- Dell Gines — senior community development advisor, KC Federal Reserve
- Adrienne Haynes — founder, managing partner, SEED Law
- Karen Fenaroli — managing partner, CEO, Fenaroli & Associates
- Andre Trudell — EVP, managing director, UMB
Innovators
- Monica Wilkens — chief marketing officer, Mylo
- Brad Sandt — CEO, k12itc
- Stuart Ludlow — co-founder, RFP365
- Michael Rea — founder, CEO, Rx Savings Solutions
- Sandy Kemper — CEO, C2FO
- Domnick Parretta — CEO, Valorem Consulting Group
- Mike Dullea — CEO, AutoAlert
- Blake Miller — founder, Homebase
- Davyeon Ross — co-founder, COO, ShotTracker
- Scott Ford — CEO, Pepper
- Chris Costello — chairman, bloom
- Joshua Montgomery — CEO, Mycroft
- Heather Spalding — co-founder, Cambrian Tech
- Faruk Capan — CEO, Intouch Solutions
- Dennis Ehrich — CIO, SMG
- Chris Cheatham — CEO, RiskGenius
- Matt Watson — CEO, Stackify
- Jason Tatge — CEO, Farmobile
- Neal Sharma — CEO, DEG
- Gary Delancy — CTO, DSI
- John Thomson — founder, CEO, Payit
- Jason Houseworth — CEO, FanThreeSixty
- Mitzi Cardenas — Senior Vice President, CIO, Truman Medical Center
- Joe DuCharme — vice president, director of information technology, Lockton
- Ed Link — vice president of IT, Garmin
- Bill Graff — CIO, Cerner
- Brian Anderson — CEO, Applogie
- Alan Lowden — CIO, HR Block
- Meg Knauth — vice president, IT Solutions Delivery, Sprint
- Chrys Sullivan — founder & CEO, Useagility
- David Chou — chief information and digital officer, Children’s Mercy
- Chris Kolquist — president, Freightquote
Featured Business
2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Brands from Poio to Made in KC booked for new airport; $1.5B expected through the gate over 15 years
Local and minority-owned vendors selected to operate shops in Kansas City’s new airport terminal are more than up to the task, said Carlos Mortera, emphasizing the power of adding flavor to the highly anticipated project. “Most airports aren’t filled with local businesses,” noted Mortera, founder of Poio Mexican Barbeque. “We in Kansas City, I feel…
Erkios confirms KC headquarters moving to St. Louis; gears up for 2022 product launch
While vendors for Erkios Systems were shut down during the pandemic, Sean Null and his team got busy learning the necessary skills to keep their startup going, he recalled. “We were doing a lot of the work on our own; so when the world started moving again, we were prepared. Essentially, we were able to…
Sustainable style: Pop-up jewelry maker adds final touch of flare through zero-waste designs
Everything in Adrianna Stranak’s life seems to happen a bit haphazardly, she said, laughing. “When I started making jewelry, creating a business was not my initial goal,” shared Stranak, who teaches kindergarten in Kansas City, Kansas. “For me, I wanted these earrings that I couldn’t afford, so I made them!” As Stranak continued designing and…
How $90K from Fountain Innovation Fund could help Azella reach 10,000 financial advisors
David Roberson grew up watching his mother struggle with financial management, he shared, noting his family’s stresses could have been alleviated with the help of a financial advisor. Combining his passions for digital marketing, web development, SEO, design and financial literacy, Roberson founded the marketing firm Azella — named for his mother. “Azella is a…