Mr. K Award finalists: RFP360, KC Bier Co., Charlie Hustle among Chamber’s Top 10 Small Businesses
April 8, 2019 | Startland News Staff
From one of Kansas City’s most popular breweries to a startup that streamlines the RFP process to an apparel company known for its big heart, 10 small businesses received surprise visits Friday — each now a finalist for the prestigious Mr. K Award.
“The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce showered us with confetti today when they hand delivered our Top 10 Small Business award! #FeelingFortunate #CelebrateSmallBiz #Innovation #Growth #BuildingABetterKC,” posted RFP360, a Kansas City-based firm innovating the RFP process.
RFP360 was named one of Startland’s Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2018. Click here to check out its progress over the course of the previous year, and here to read about the hiring of the company’s first CEO.
Charlie Hustle, Top 10 Small Business honoree, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
Fellow Top Small Businesses KC Bier Co. and T-shirt trendsetter Charlie Hustle also have startup roots. Click here to read about the brewery’s strategy for expansion, and here to learn more about the hometown apparel company’s full-court business offensive.
The Chamber’s Top 10 Small Business honorees were selected from a pool of 80 nominees. One will be chosen for the Mr. K Award — named for legendary Kansas City entrepreneur Ewing Marion Kauffman — which is presented to a company that not only shows growth and sustainability, but also has a record of giving back to the community.
A winner is expected to be announced at the Chamber’s May 23 Small Business Luncheon.
Lead Bank was awarded the distinction in 2018.
The full Top 10 Small Businesses list includes:
- Agforce Transport — third-party logistics and supply chain provider.
- Charlie Hustle — vintage T-shirt company.
- IBC, Inc. — commercial construction firm.
- KC Bier Co. — Kansas City-based, German-style craft brewery.
- Lever1 — integrated professional employer organization services.
- Odimo — collaborative architectural and planning firm.
- RFP360 — full-circle RFP management solution.
- Ripple Glass — state-of-the-art glass recycling.
- TREKK Design Group — woman-owned civil engineering firm.
- VeriShip — parcel shipping intelligence company.
Honored to be recognized today as a @kcchamber #KansasCity Top 10 Small Business of the Year. Thanks to all of #KC for your ongoing support of #KCBierCo! Prost! https://t.co/NsokflPmYO
— KC Bier Co. (@KCBierCo) April 5, 2019
Featured Business
2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Development leaders laud HQ expansion for organization that opens workforce to Kansas Citians with autism
A new multimillion-dollar, 80,000-square-foot headquarters along Kansas City’s Brush Creek marks a major milestone for Behavioral Health Allies, strengthening the organization’s workforce training efforts and its belief in the potential for individuals with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders, officials said Wednesday. “This expansion is exactly the kind of investment Kansas City needs,” said Tracey…
LaunchKC opens grants competition with nationwide search; eying companies to call KC home
A popular grants competition that offers early stage tech companies the opportunity to win $60,000 in non-dilutive grants, downtown Kansas City office space, and access to scaling resources is back for 2025 — emphasizing startups with high-growth potential and equitable business practices. LaunchKC’s signature Liftoff grants competition opened applications Thursday, kicking off a nationwide search…
MOSourceLink adds startup founder as new ‘Network Convener’ to rally ESOs, entrepreneurs
A newly-created role is expected to help strengthen connections between entrepreneur support organizations across the state and promote the wealth of resources available to Missouri’s entrepreneurs. Adam Larson — founder of Decimal Projects, CEO of Catnip Budz Gourmet Catnip, and former program coordinator at Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UMKC — moves to…
Mental reps and truth bombs: How this AI ‘coach-in-your-pocket’ strength trains minds before life’s hardest workouts
Building mental resilience should feel as natural as going to the gym, said Craig Mason, noting his new venture flexes a “performance psychologist, coach in your pocket, 24/7.” The emphasis: training the mind before crises hit. “Myndset is really designed to be a mental strength training platform,” said Mason, founder of the Kansas City-based startup.…