Meet 20 scaling companies making the leap with ScaleUP! KC’s latest small biz cohort
January 28, 2021 | Startland News Staff
Successfully scaling entrepreneurs take the time to work on their businesses — rather than just in them, Jill Hathaway said, emphasizing the transformative power ScaleUP! Kansas City brings to the 20 top-tier business owners newly participating in its 11th cohort.
“This intensive program has had a profound impact on the small businesses it serves during the 16 weeks and long after the course ends,” said Hathaway, program director for ScaleUP! KC. “The tools, coaching and connections help them navigate unexpected twists and turns with confidence and a clear plan.”
ScaleUP! KC, which is administered by the UMKC Innovation Center, provides direct support for growth-oriented entrepreneurs and firms — to include underserved and underrepresented communities/populations — and strengthens the entrepreneurial ecosystem by filling a gap for second-stage businesses, according to the program.
Click here to learn more about ScaleUP! KC, which is offered at no cost to participants thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The cohort’s latest additions from across the Kansas City region — each with revenues above $200,000 — represent such diverse industries as security, marketing, fitness, construction, insurance, tech, sanitation and education, according to ScaleUP! KC.
Members of the cohort include:
- Tony Blogumas — Green Resources Consulting, Cleveland, Missouri
- Brian Butner — NPB Companies Inc., Kansas City, Kansas
- David Chavez — INGEÑUITY, Olathe, Kansas
- Jocelyn Cohenour — Studio7 Pilates + Barre, Prairie Village, Kansas
- Isaac Collins — Yogurtini, Kansas City, Missouri
- Samantha Comer — Niftiest Construction Provider LLC, Kansas City, Kansas
- Nicole Feltz — Nicole L. Feltz Agency, American Family Insurance, Overland Park, Kansas
- Blair Hauser — Marquette Physical Therapy, Leawood, Kansas
- Renee Jones — Patrick’s Heating and Cooling Supply, Kansas City, Missouri
- Maria Kunstadter — The TeleDentists, Kansas City, Missouri
- Toni Laban — Pacific Sanitation Services, Kansas City, Missouri
- Audrey Mathis — Lumen Touch, Kansas City, Missouri
- Corey Phillips — Trilogy Sports & Fitness, Kansas City, Missouri
- Andrew Powell — State Line Door & Lift, Grain Valley, Missouri
- Kristen Rising — Rising Construction Services Inc., Grain Valley, Missouri
- Randy Robbins — J&C Auto Glass, Raytown, Missouri
- Von Walker — Clean It All, Independence, Missouri
- Caleb Walston — Walston Door Company LLC, North Kansas City, Missouri
- Sanford Willis — Willis Willis and Sons LLC, Kansas City, Missouri
- AbdulRasak Yahaya — Open Minds Child Development Center, Olathe, Kansas
Including the newest cohort, 175 Kansas City-area business owners have participated in ScaleUP! KC. The program helps them create the processes, strategies and long-term plans to not only grow but also to scale their businesses and be equipped and ready for shifts and opportunities, according to ScaleUP! KC.
Featured Business
2021 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Duo designs Paloma Post greeting cards for more inclusive representation of couples
As she stood flipping through an endless sea of birthday cards, Julie Korona couldn’t find a single one that would send the right message to her then-fiancé, Tyler, she recalled. “All of the cards that I was looking through either said ‘husband’ or were super generic,” said Korona, co-founder of Paloma Post — a newly…
Artist who won rare Jayhawk licensing deal — scoring a $150K payday — set to rebound
Seemingly routine for many Kansas fans, crimson and blue are once again among the colors flooding the canvas of the 2019 NCAA tournament. But for artist Megh Knappenberger, the Jayhawks’ familiar palate has painted an entrepreneurial journey with as thrilling ups and downs as Big 12 basketball, she said. “It’s a pretty special and unique…
Cloud platform Packet opens KC office after $25M funding round in New York
New York-based Packet’s newly established Kansas City office is expected to take full advantage of the area’s wealth of tech talent, said Ihab Tarazi. “There is actually a very good technical base in Kansas City — so here’s validation of that,” said Tarazi, chief technology officer at the cloud infrastructure firm committed to “building a…
Fast track Missouri Hyperloop: Bipartisan support for 670-mph travel builds speed
It isn’t just a pipe dream. The arrival of bipartisan state and federal support for high-speed, cross-region travel means the much-anticipated Missouri Hyperloop project continues to shoot forward, Ryan Weber said. “For businesses, this could be a huge opportunity to create a new industry, attract new businesses and leverage a much larger workforce,” Weber, KC…