No Coast names finalists for KC’s premier tech champions; winners revealed Sept. 16
August 26, 2020 | Startland News Staff
Inspirational leaders impacting tech aren’t confined to the coasts — nor to a pre- or post-pandemic world, said organizers of the No Coast awards, pushing forward with plans to honor significant contributions to Kansas City’s tech community virtually this fall.
“We all know someone who makes waves everywhere they go — someone who, whether they’re working overtime or having a casual conversation with a coworker, is naturally disrupting, innovating and inspiring change,” said the KC Tech Council, organizer of No Coast, in an announcement of finalists. “As much as we love tech, they achieve something not even the most advanced AI could learn. They encourage people to create positive change.”
Finalists for No Coast’s top honors — Tech Champion of the Year, Tech Connector of the Year, Outstanding Contribution to Tech, and Tech Educator of the Year — were revealed Monday, recognizing a host of contenders from across Kansas City’s tech, government, education and nonprofit scenes.
Blake Miller, Homebase
Ed Lada, president and CEO of Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas, notably picked up finalist positions in two of the four major No Coast categories. Startup leader Blake Miller, CEO of Homebase.ai — a member of the recent T-Mobile Accelerator and one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2019 — also is up for consideration.
Click here to see the full list of candidates, bios and award descriptions, or keep reading.
Winners for the categories have already been selected and are expected to be announced Sept. 16 via short videos, said Haley Regan, manager of marketing and communications for the KC Tech Council.
An in-person celebration to mark the second annual No Coast awards fell victim to COVID-19, but KC Tech Council pivoted to a new model for 2020 in hopes of highlighting contributions despite the ongoing pandemic.
Virtual keynote addresses are expected to be released Sept. 15.
Haley Regan, Kara Lowe, and Ryan Weber, KC Tech Council
KC Tech Council also recently launched a new No Coast COVID-19 Community Response category to applaud the community’s resiliency alongside No Coast’s major, recurring awards.
“Once we decided to go completely virtual, we added a category to celebrate companies and individuals that created useful resources to help the community during the pandemic,” Regan said. “There will be no winner chosen for that category, but we will celebrate those nominated with a special shout out in one of the videos.”
Click here to nominate an individual or company for the recognition. Nominations close Friday.
Finalists for No Coasts top awards include:
- Ed Lada — president and CEO of Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas
- Elijah Haahr — speaker of the House, Missouri House of Representatives
- Kathy Busch — chair, Kansas State Board of Education
- Ed Lada — president and CEO of Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas
- Blake Miller — CEO of Homebase.ai
- Dale Werts — partner, Lathrop GPM LLP
Outstanding Contribution to Tech
- Frank Pflumm — Centriq Training
- Jenna Beckett — Centriq Training
- Scott Bromander — Prime Digital Academy
Click here to read more about the 2019 No Coast winners.
Featured Business
2020 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Digital Sandbox announces funding for six new companies
On Thursday, Digital Sandbox KC announced its newest cohort of six area startups. Led by entrepreneur Jeff Shackelford, the Kansas City-based incubator welcomed 17° 73° Innovation Co, Anticipate Ventures, FEWDM, Homegrown & Happy, Live-K and TicketRx to the program. “The continued support through partnerships, like Independence, Olathe and Great Plains Energy for the Energy…
During Taste of Techstars, David Cohen offers three tips for hopeful applicants
Founder and co-CEO of Techstars David Cohen addressed Kansas City via a simulcast on Thursday morning, sharing three tips for startups. This preceded the day long workshop Taste of Techstars, which is hosted in multiple Techstars cities. Including simulcast talks, mentor sessions and pitch practice — Kansas City Techstars managing director Lesa Mitchell said she…
Google Fiber clarifies KC plans after reports of mass cancellations
After media reports indicated it canceled “hundreds” of area residents’ installations without a specific reason, Google Fiber is now clarifying its Kansas City plans. The tech giant — which began building an expansive gigabit network in Kansas City, Kan. in 2011 — said that while it remains committed to the area, it is tapering its expansion…
Leaders in KC coworking evaluate cultural, economic impact
Though I’m a “young, hip” millennial that offices in a coworking space, there’s no slant in saying that coworking is more than a fad in Kansas City. It’s a serious — and growing — business segment in the area. In the next 18 to 24 months, the metro will be welcoming more than 300,000 square…