Rise Up, Get Started offers second chances with grants to formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs
May 31, 2019 | Austin Barnes and Tommy Felts
Kansas City should be home to second chances, hope, and opportunities, said Johnny Waller Jr.
Johnny Waller Jr., Determination, Incorporated
“Kansas City has a rich history of uniting behind its citizens for the common good of its people and that’s what this event is,” said Waller, co-founder of Determination, Incorporated, addressing a wide-ranging audience Thursday at the inaugural Rise Up, Get Started celebration and grants competition for formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs.
A returning citizen himself, Waller knows that life after prison is rich with struggle and void of resources, he explained.
“I have been a convicted felon since I was 18 years old and know firsthand how easy it is to lose sight of your hopes and dreams,” Waller said. “This competition gives men and women in our community the inspiration to pursue their dreams, believe in themselves and have a positive impact on their families and community.”
Designed to bring awareness to the mission of Determination, Incorporated — the non-profit which serves as a pathway to opportunity for formerly incarcerated people through entrepreneurship, and launched in 2018 by Kyle Smith — Rise, Up Get Started saw three budding entrepreneurs walk away with $1,500 grants to grow their businesses.
Kyle Smith and Johnny Waller Jr., Determination, Incorporated; Frederick Martin, IFAA Legal Services; York Wilson, Strategic Workforce Development; and RJ Sanders, Trvl Arm
The nights winners included: Frederick Martin, owner of IFAA Legal Services; York Wilson, founder and president of Strategic Workforce Development; and RJ Sanders, creator of the Trvl Arm.
Marcus Bullock, Flikshop
Click here to learn more about the event’s keynote speaker, Flikshop founder Marcus Bullock.
The co-founders — who also facilitate the Be the Boss business support group for the formerly incarcerated — hope to elevate 40 entrepreneurs during the event’s next showing in November, they said, noting they can’t do it alone.
“Johnny and I get to talk about all this. We get to sit up on stage when you guys are the ones who are putting in the hard work to reach your business goals and to succeed as entrepreneurs,” Smith told the first group of Rise Up, Get Started applicants. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for us, for the Be the Boss community, and for yourself and your families.”
Interested in supporting Determination, Incorporated? Click here for details.
The prizes aren’t indicative of winners or losers, said Smith.
Of the 14 Rise Up, Get Started applicants, everyone has what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur and staying the course will help them achieve that, he noted.
“We are so excited to continue to work with you to grow your businesses,” Smith said.
Featured Business
2019 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Housing trends show young professionals don’t care about Troost’s stigma, UC-B says
Lance Carlton initially was skeptical of developing east of Troost Avenue, he said. “But the mentality of the market has changed,” said Carlton, co-managing partner of UC-B Properties, which brought its offices to the 4300 block of Troost in August 2016. The company helped prove an appetite for residential development on the corridor with 19…
Mac Properties plans four-corner food startup village at Armour and Troost
Mac Properties’ Kansas City arm wants to turn a “sleepy intersection” on Troost into a four-corner incubator for thriving residential and restaurant activity. The vision is to create a “food startup village” as the foundation of the development, which would bring 400 new market rate apartments to Armour Boulevard and Troost, said Peter Cassel, director…
Wonder developers eye emerging businesses and creatives for Troost
Business is brewing at the former Wonder Bread bakery. With a flurry of activity at 30th and Troost, the historic site is undergoing a transformation: from yet another vacant space on the corridor to an anchor for residential and commercial life on Troost. “They’ve gutted the inside and they’ve done a ton of work,” said…
You don’t have to pick a side, neighbor-led Troost Coalition says
It’s about bringing residents back to Troost Avenue, Cathryn Simmons said. And that means challenging the status quo. “This used to be a free-for-all. Troost was the Wild Wild West of Kansas City,” she said. “You could come over here and do anything you wanted. Legally.” A founding member of the Troost Coalition, Simmons helped…