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
Say ‘cheese,’ KC! Cheddies arrive in Hy-Vee stores after Sprint Accelerator success
For the brothers behind Cheddies, maintaining the integrity of their real-cheddar cheese cracker through the transition to larger manufacturing is paramount as the firm scales, they said. “It really is a guilt-free experience,” said Tomas Pergola, describing the snack he created with his brother, Francisco. “A lot of times we feel the need to indulge…
Lenexa-based Athlete Network teams with K-State, Arkansas, Lindenwood on student engagement
A Kansas City-area tech startup is expanding the scope of its social network for athletes, the company announced this week, revealing new partnerships between Athlete Network and three universities with Division 1 sports. The company is collaborating with athletic departments at Kansas State University, Arkansas State University, and Lindenwood University to develop game-changing technology with…
Cut from Sandlot’s lineup: Demand for Coaster Oven ‘coming out of the woodwork’
A faint smell of leather washes over customers when they enter Sandlot Goods’ new Crossroads space at 2125 Washington St. But the most recent buzz comes from owner Chad Hickman’s side venture with his brother: Coaster Oven. In the back corner of Sandlot’s workshop, where the Kansas City-born company specializes in leather and stitch work,…
Aug. 9 KC Coworking Day celebrates the future of work — happening now in Kansas City
Editor’s note: The following content about KC Coworking Day is sponsored by the KC Coworking Alliance but independently produced by Startland News. After setting a world record in 2017 for the most people coworking in the same place, KC Coworking Day is set to return Aug. 9 with a party meant to spark even greater…