InnovaPrep CEO honored as an ‘inspiration’ among Pipeline fellows
November 16, 2020 | Austin Barnes
COVID-19 couldn’t stop the steady flow of innovation through the Pipeline Entrepreneurs Fellowship.
The organization crowned a series of winners through its (virtual) Innovator Awards on Thursday — a testament to its commitment to entrepreneurs weathering unprecedented times, said David Alburty.
“Pipeline has been absolutely mission-critical in my evolution as a scaling CEO,” Alburty, CEO of InnovaPrep, said in response to his participation in the program’s 2019 fellowship and newfound winner of Pipeline’s member inspiration award. The honor recognized his commitment to fostering success in other fellows.
“Pipeline helped me learn how to make Innovaprep scale. It has been an honor and a blessing to be part of the Pipeline Entrepreneurs family and I plan to continue for life, helping members and new fellows in any way I can,” he said.
Additional prizes saw Michael Fry, co-founder and CEO of Brown Button Estates crowned innovator of the year; Leandro Castro, co-founder and CEO of Omaha-based MultiMechanics, honored with the member growth award; and Mike Bosch, founder and CEO of Baldwin City-based RG Fiber recognized with the member resilience award.
Alburty credits the program with teaching him valuable revenue-building skills, which, when anchored with his background in STEM, have turned InnovaPrep into a powerhouse on the prairie.
The startup made key pivots amid the pandemic which has seen it use its technology to search sewers for SARS in a bid to help end the spread of COVID-19.
Click here to read more about InnovaPrep’s pandemic-experience.
Featured Business

2020 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
As book banning spreads across US, one KC media company calls out specific threat to diverse creators
The Kansas City publishing powerhouse behind many of the nation’s most-beloved newspaper comics — from Calvin & Hobbes and The Far Side to Garfield and Peanuts — this week raised its voice amid a growing push to condemn book bans flaring up across the country. “Books are safe harbors, where the freedom of expression and…
Torch.AI secures second acquisition in two months with more in its pipeline, revealing strategy to ‘turbocharge’ military intel
Leawood-based artificial intelligence firm Torch.AI recently expanded its team and capabilities through the acquisition of B23 — a Virginia-based data extraction software company, noted Adam Lurie, chief strategy officer of Torch.AI “Our belief is that the combination of Torch.AI’s software platform Nexus, alongside the subject matter expertise and customer capabilities of B23, will allow us…
New initiative has a message for KC: When Black men say they need a ’90s self-love reboot — listen
Love yourself enough to know you matter It’s virtually impossible to love others when there’s not already a sense of self love, said Kansas City small business owner Christina Williams, announcing the launch of an initiative to guide its community of Black men to understanding and believing in their own self-worth. “I know a lot…
Splitting time between student, entrepreneur lives earns Splitsy co-founder top UMKC honor
Recognition as UMKC’s Student Entrepreneur of the Year is a reminder that innovators often begin early, said Brad Starnes, one of Kansas City’s most-talked-about emerging young startup founders. “When I was about 8 years old, I submitted a drawing to an engineering firm,” said the co-founder of Splitsy, a bill splitting app that launched its…
