‘Role models’ for KC: Chamber reveals 10 finalists for Small Business of the Year award
September 4, 2020 | Startland News Staff
Ten Kansas City companies — including a handful of up-and-coming startups and popular food and beverage hotspots — are vying for the Chamber’s top honor: the coveted Mr. K award.
Joe Reardon, president and CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce; 2019 Chamber Small Business Awards
“Today’s the day!” said Joe Reardon, president and CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, announcing the top 10 small business of the year finalists Friday morning across social media.
Finalists notably run the gamut from COVID-era success stories to decades-old small businesses, marketing and media companies to bakeries and a minority-owned, female-led apparel brand.
“One of our favorite things to do at the KC Chamber is give regional businesses the public kudos, recognition and encouragement that they deserve,” the Chamber said on its website. “We do this every year for amazing small businesses, companies that serve as role models in diversity and inclusion, and businesses that are going the extra mile to create a healthy workplace.”
Thalia Cherry, Cherry
Ryan Maybee, Nathan Perry, and Andy Rieger, J. Rieger & Co.
The full list of small business finalists — pared down from 36 selected candidates and in order of their announcement — includes:
- J. Rieger & Co.
- Chicken N Pickle
- Amply Media
- McLain’s Markets
- Traders Insurance Company
- Prairie Elder Care
- Cherry
- Pro Athlete, Inc
- Messenger Coffee / Ibis Bakery
- Signal Theory
Up next: an Oct. 1 virtual small business celebration featuring a panel of the top 10 companies’ CEOs. Click here to register.
Wendy Guillies, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation; 2019 Chamber Small Business Awards
The finalist showdown culminates Oct. 15 with the virtual Small Business Celebration Awards Luncheon where the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is set to announce the Small Business of the Year “Mr. K Award” — named for Ewing Marion Kauffman, known widely as “Mr. K.”
Winners of the 2020 Diverse Small Business Award, the Legacy of Kansas City Award, the Emerging Business Award, and the Weida Award for International Business recipients also are expected to be revealed at the virtual event.
Click here to learn more about the Oct. 15 Small Business Celebration Awards Luncheon.
The luncheon and award season typically are organized in the spring, but were delayed amid COVID-19 precautions and restrictions. The previous celebration was hosted in May 2019 at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown Muehlebach Tower Imperial Ballroom.
Click here to read about the 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner, Rhonda Dolan, founder of Udo.
Featured Business
2020 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
JQ Sirls is the king of his own universe; his new book puts a distinctly Black hero at the center of it
JQ Sirls started popping through the multiverse as a child; escaping through various worlds and alternate realities via stories like “Where the Wild Things Are,” “Peter Pan,” and “The Wizard of Oz” — as well as magical realms he created himself. “Those are my DNA,” said Sirls, a Kansas City-based author, artist and the entrepreneur behind…
His KC theater shines spotlight on queer voices; How one playwright is giving stage time to a new wave of talent
Kansas City’s theater scene should be a safe and comfortable space, said Kevin King, detailing his effort to specifically provide a place where queer voices can not only feel heard, but celebrated. “Since 2019, we’ve been basically gay all the time,” said King, producing artistic director at Whim Productions, an LGBTQ+ theater company with a…
Premiere Kansas City startup acquired by Texas-based IoT leader in proptech industry
The acquisition of Crossroads-built Homebase by Lone Star State smart home innovator Quext brings together two of the most disruptive companies in the space, said Blake Miller, founder of the premiere Kansas City startup. The move — creating a single source for multifamily operators to get the best-in-class smart community and managed WiFi solutions their…
Starlight wants to add a canopy to KC’s famed outdoor theater; Here’s what else its $40M capital campaign would bring
Editor’s note: The following story was published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. If fully funded, the campaign will make capital improvements across the entire Starlight campus — including the construction of a production…