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
Techstars arrival: Find that ‘ride or die’ investor who answers your 3 am calls, founder says
Even in a startup’s early stages, founders need both a roadmap and destination, said Zerryn Gines. “You don’t need to know exactly what you’re doing every step of the way, but if you know where you want to go — then you can connect to the right people and ask the right questions,” explained Gines,…
New in KC: How two OU alumni secured over $1M from NASA, US Air Force for 3D printing startup
Editor’s note: New in KC is an ongoing profile series that highlights newly relocated members of the Kansas City startup community, their reasons for a change of scenery, and what they’ve found so far in KC. This series is sponsored by C2FO, a Leawood-based, global financial services company. Click here to read more New in KC profiles. Replicating the founding…
Flyover Capital closes its Tech Fund II over $60M, targeting new seed, post-seed startups
Tech startups raising seed and post-seed funding will benefit most from the close of Flyover Capital Fund II, the venture capital firm said, announcing Thursday its oversubscribed close. “The oversubscribed fund brings Flyover Capital’s total assets under management to approximately $110 million,” the Overland Park-based venture capital firm said in a release, outlining plans for…
It’s ‘Teacher Appreciation Year’ as blooom launches 12 months of free services for educators
After an especially difficult year for teachers — navigating safety protocols and virtual classrooms, among other pandemic challenges — a Kansas City startup plans to offer its finance and retirement services free to educators for 12 months and at any price level, said Chris Costello. “Many [traditional] plans are needlessly expensive and complicated, which is why…