‘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
How this reality TV star is using his platform to help tech students start life-changing careers without heavy debt
Nehemiah Clark stands at the crossroads of reality TV and inclusive tech education. As a former cast member on MTV’s “The Real World: Austin” and a frequent competitor on the Paramount+ “The Challenge” series, Clark leverages his audience to further the mission of SnapIT Solutions, he shared. “On [‘The Challenge’], I’ve talked about what I…
How Charlie Hustle’s wholesale expansion, collegiate licensing is growing its brand beyond the KC Heart
Chase McAnulty is on a mission to build Charlie Hustle into a national brand, he shared, without losing the company’s roots in Kansas City. “We’ve really driven the narrative that not only celebrates culture, but civic pride. It’s a challenge to go to these other markets and give them their version of the KC Heart,…
Two UMKC-linked research teams earn Comeback KC Ventures funding for COVID innovations
Two research teams tied to the University of Missouri-Kansas City have received proof-of-concept funding support through Comeback KC Ventures and will take the next step toward bringing their innovations from the university lab to market to solve problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the funding program announced. Funds from Comeback KC Ventures focus on the…
She sends food to the dinner table, instead of the trash can; how one social venture is saving family mealtime with would-be waste
A Kansas City nonprofit’s innovative approach is reducing food waste, fighting food insecurity, and restoring family mealtime. Pete’s Garden, founded in 2019 by Tamara Weber, partners with caterers, restaurants, and food service organizations to save unserved, prepared food that would otherwise be thrown out. Weber and a team of volunteers portion and package that food…