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
Kansas City ESO icon Maria Meyers championed for bringing SourceLink to the world stage
A decades-long effort to grow inclusive entrepreneurial communities by strengthening access to critical resources began as a grassroots movement in Kansas City, said Maria Meyers, whose work recently earned her global recognition — and a rare honor in recent years for an American recipient. Meyers, the founder of SourceLink — a first-of-its-kind platform boasting more…
How this startup founder earned $200K in unrestricted, trust-based funding to transform KC’s relationship to food
Long-term community change comes one meal at a time, acknowledged one of Attane Health’s biggest supporters, reflecting on the Kansas City startup’s growth from the “spark of an idea to a full-fledged solution” — ultimately earning its founder a game-changing funding boost. The St. Louis-based Missouri Foundation for Health this month announced its inaugural Spark Prize…
Kauffman awards $5.8M funding pipeline to research how to close wealth gaps in KC, beyond
Eight newly announced research grants from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation are expected to help catalyze research-based efforts aimed at growing equitable economic mobility in Kansas City, regionally, and nationally. More than $5.8 million in research funding will be disbursed over the next three years through this first round of grantmaking through Kauffman’s new research…
KC’s top emerging business is brewing more than just beer at 18th and Vine, owners say
Winning the Emerging Small Business Award is validation that Vine Street Brewing Co. — Missouri’s first Black-owned brewery — is tapped into what the community wants and needs, two of its owners said Tuesday. “It signifies we’re moving along with purpose and that we can really lean into our goals,” explained Annie McGinnis, co-owner and…