Fund Me, KC: Good Bitter Best hopes to mix cocktails with community, pivots to add virtual bartender
September 22, 2020 | Startland News Staff
Startland News is continuing its “Fund Me, KC” series to highlight area entrepreneurs’ efforts to accelerate their businesses. This is an opportunity for entrepreneurs — like Jennifer Agnew’s Good Bitter Best campaign — to share their crowdfunding stories to gain a little help from their supporters.
Jennifer Agnew, Good Bitter Best
Who are you?
I am Jennifer Agnew, public school art teacher by day, entrepreneur by night. I love the outdoors, working out, and connecting with friends. My mission is to grow my mind, body, and soul to love as the universe loves and to promote empowerment for myself and others.
What is Good Bitter Best?
We offer unique cocktail bitters, kits, and virtual classes. Some of our flavors include Cherry Cacao, Smoke, Strawberry Basil, and Apple Cinnamon. We also create flavor-infused sugar cubes and dehydrated fruit garnish to elevate your home bartender game.
Click here for the Good Bitter Best Kickstarter page.
What’s your ‘why’?
People connecting with people. In our social media-saturated age, it can feel more lonely than ever. My original goal was to host cocktail classes where folks would learn how to make delicious drinks in a party-like atmosphere. Because of COVID, we have made a pivot and will soon offer Virtual Bartender classes. This has very exciting implications as we could eventually employ bartenders from across the world to teach folks how to make cocktails from their region. During class, there would be built-in time for connection questions, so people are enjoying each other’s company as well as learning a new skill.
Good Bitter Best
How much do you hope to raise with the crowdfunding campaign?
$8,000 (Kickstarter ends Oct. 8)
What do you plan to use the funds for?
I will use the funds to scale: buying ingredients in bulk to make large batches of bitters in order to sell to local shops, restaurants, and bars. If I reach my stretch goals of $10,000 to $15,000, I will also be able to offer Good BItter Best barware and merch including a to-go cocktail kit.
Good Bitter Best
How are you differentiating your campaign?
My campaign offers awesome rewards! My favorite is working with backers to create a cocktail named after them, and at the top tier working with backers to create new bitters according to their favorite flavors!
Is there anything quirky with your campaign?
The to-go cocktail kit is pretty dope. It comes with a fanny pack and collapsible cups. Imagine going on a hike with your boo, then at the halfway point taking everything out of your fanny pack to have a freshly muddled cocktail? Pretty impressive.
Anything else readers should know about Good Bitter Best?
Our fall flavors will be up on our online shop soon! We have recently added curbside pick up and local delivery options. Check us out at GoodBitterBest.com and follow us @goodbitterbest on IG/FB!
2020 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
UMKC hatchling Artist INC takes on new ownership, regional expansion
Artist INC, a program supporting hundreds of Kansas City artists, announced Thursday that it has new ownership and will further expand in the region. Formerly a program of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Innovation Center, Artist INC is now housed and fully supported by the Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA). A regional arts nonprofit, M-AAA serves…
E-Scholars grad Heidi Van pushes boundaries with ‘nomadic theater’
Obstacles along the path to success are often produced in the minds of the creative people themselves, Heidi Van said. “These obstacles are created from self-doubt,” said Van, Fishtank Theatre founder and artistic director. “If you actually looked closer and broke it down into action items, you could probably make a couple of phone calls…
Jobs alert: 5 Techstars firms now hiring in Kansas City
Less than halfway through Techstars’ three-month program, five startup companies in the class are hiring. The program’s first annual cohort — which included 10 startups — spent the first month meeting nearly 100 mentors and investors. Following the feedback, half of the class is ready to scale and hire more people, said Techstars managing director Lesa Mitchell.…
Techstars Spotlight: Startup hopes to bridge teacher-school gap
Matching best-fit teachers to school districts can be challenging, Michael Barnes said. Serving nearly three years as a district talent manager at Austin Achieve public schools, in Austin, Texas, Barnes felt a lot of pressure to make the right decisions for students. “Oftentimes I would stay up until 2 a.m., wishing I had better teachers…