Meet the half-dozen, seasoned KC founders joining Pipeline’s latest fellowship class
January 24, 2020 | Startland News Staff
Nearly half of the new class of Pipeline fellows hail from Kansas City startups, revealed the high-profile entrepreneur network Thursday at the Pipeline Innovators Daytime Showcase.
Among those Kansas City founders taking the stage during the announcement:
- Dominique Davison, PlanIT Impact;
- Kyle Ginavan, OneHQ;
- Bo Lais, Lula;
- Luke Lim, Tile Five LCC;
- A.J. Mellott, Ronawk LLC; and
- Sunti Wathanacharoen, Pulmonaer Analytics.
Pipeline — which serves as a regional network across the Midwest — also drew heavily from Nebraska, as well as picking up entrepreneurs from outside Kansas City in Missouri and Kansas. Among those founders:
- Brent Comstock, BCom Solutions, Lincoln;
- Walker Deibel, The Acquisition Lab, St. Louis;
- Jennifer McDonald, Jenny Dawn Cellars, Wichita;
- Brooke Mullen, Sapahn, Lincoln;
- Hunter Radenslaben, Athlete Nation, Omaha;
- Jeff Smith, Fanbox Subscription Services Inc, Lincoln; and
- Travis Stephens, Direct Pivot Parts, Lincoln.
2020 Pipeline fellows
Thursday’s event additionally showcased competition between 2019 Pipeline fellows who pitched throughout a daytime contest to earn the titles of best pitch and Innovator of the year.
Graduating fellow Bek Abdullayev of Kansas City’s Super Dispatch was awarded best pitch by a panel of national judges that included Allison Weil, Hyde Park Ventures, Chicago; Eric Drummond, Innovation Corridor, Denver; and Jeff Jones, H&R Block.
Innovator of the Year is set to be announced at Pipeline’s annual gala in April in Kansas City.
Other 2019 Kansas City graduating fellows up for the top award include:
- Anis Dayya, PiREARcings;
- Jeff Dunn, Redivus Health;
- Liderman Duin, Bluepoint2;
- Michael Fry, Astra Brands;
- Donald Hawkins, CitySmart;
- Heather Spalding, Cambrian; and
- Tammie Wahaus, ELIAS Animal Health.
“After spending this action-packed day with Pipeline entrepreneurs, mentors, supporters and families, I am convinced that Pipeline is the most compelling entrepreneurial organization in the country, and I am humbled to be chosen to be its next leader,” said Melissa Vincent, Pipeline’s new executive director. “I am so excited to get to work with these new 2020 Fellows, as well as everyone who is ready and willing to lend their support to all of the Pipeline Family. Let’s do this!”
Click here to learn more about Vincent’s background before arriving Kansas City to lead Pipeline.
Featured Business
2020 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Entrepreneur of the Year: Zig when others are zagging — and don’t be afraid of the word ‘no’
Bold strategies helped lead BacklotCars to one of Kansas City’s biggest-ever startup exits, said Justin Davis, and ultimately brought the lauded founder to the stage Wednesday to accept one of UMKC’s Entrepreneur of the Year honors. “Taking ‘no’ for an answer wasn’t an option,” the co-founder and CEO of BacklotCars, a web-based, dealer-to-dealer automotive platform, told…
New grant from Porter House KC helps business owners ‘Scale Deep’; applications close Oct. 24
An additional funding opportunity for select small businesses is now available thanks to a seed planted years ago by The Porter House KC. The nonprofit has partnered with the JPMorgan Chase Foundation for the new Scale Deep Grant, which will disperse $30,000 between three small businesses for back office support, equipment cost, rental assistance, and…
Founder: Build your startup on relationships — not tech — to survive seismic industry shifts
Nurturing healthy relationships with clients and partners is the most sustainable way to build a business, said Dan Prince, reflecting on his time growing a custom software development company in Kansas City. “You grow a business by your reputation, by doing the best work for people that you can possibly do. I was told a…
Why NMotion gives founders (without a startup) $100K and tells them to forget their assumptions
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. LINCOLN,…