Junior Achievement taps startup leaders as Hall of Fame inductees, KC Innovator winner
July 26, 2021 | Startland News Staff
The newest inductees to Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City’s Business Hall of Fame play an important role in building the metro’s ecosystem of entrepreneurship, creativity, and cooperation, said Leroy McCarty.
“Our 2021 Laureates exemplify the collaborative spirit that elevates Kansas City in the world of business, philanthropy, and civic engagement,” said Leroy McCarty, chairman of the Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City board and vice president of operations at Fidelity Security Life Insurance Company. “Our honorees value teamwork, both internally and externally, and inspire young people to envision their own role in the future of our community.”
Among the new inductees from three top Kansas City companies:
- DEG — Neal Sharma, co-founder, CEO; Dale Hazlett, co-founder, CFO; Jasvindarjit Singh, CTO; Jeff Eden, Chief Growth Officer; and Sky Morey, Chief Software Architect
- Mark One Electric — Rosana Privitera Biondo, president; Carl Privitera II, vice president; Joe Privitera, vice president; and Tony Privitera, vice president
- PayIt — John Thomson, co-founder, CEO
Click here to read more about the 2021 Hall of Fame laureates.
The honorees and their organizations are set to be recognized Nov. 9 at the annual Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame reception at the new Junior Achievement Youth Learning Lab Kansas City, Kansas.
Privitera
Since 2000, the Hall of Fame event has recognized the achievements of local business leaders from Ewing Marion Kauffman, Barnett and Shirley Helzberg, and Henry Bloch to Gary Fish, Sandy and Christine Kemper, Peter Mallouk and Davyeon Ross.
Click here to read about the 2020 inductees.
Thalia Cherry, Cherry
In addition to the Hall of Fame laureates, Junior Achievement also plans to honor Thalia Cherry, founder and CEO of sports and fashion apparel company Cherry Co., with the KC Innovator Award.
KC Innovators are recognized for positively disrupting their industries, creating jobs and opportunities, and applying innovation to solve critical social and economic problems, Junior Achievement said.
Cherry prides itself on community engagement, according to the organization. The company has donated more than $500,000 and sponsored 100-plus community events since opening in 2012. Through Cherry, its founder strives to create a clothing brand that exemplifies sports, fashion, fun, and celebrates the greatness in women.
Click here to learn more about Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City, which empowers the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and doers by connecting young people to mentors and learning opportunities which teach financial decision-making skills, inspire entrepreneurial thinking, and prepare them for 21st century careers.
Featured Business
2021 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Heartshaped Clothing: A love story fashioned into a Dad-hat
Corey Reed’s wife opened his heart to true love, he said. Love of God, community, creativity and family. The revelation didn’t just inspire Reed’s Heartshaped Clothing line, it allowed him to recognize and appreciate the gifts and sacrifices of his faith and those around him, like his parents, who adopted him at birth, he said.…
Kritiq fashion show MADE for Kansas City designers
Designers don’t need to go to the east or west coasts to pursue their dreams, Mark Launiu said. “There’s so much passion and grind here in Kansas City. And a lot of people on the outside don’t know that,” said Launiu, co-founder at MADE Urban Apparel. “We’re always overlooked because they think of just our…
Random origins, but no fluke: MADE grinds to grand expansion
The MADE Mobb is getting used to risk taking. “We know what it’s like to walk into something blind,” laughed Mark Launiu, co-founder at MADE Urban Apparel. Launiu, along with co-founders Vu Radley and Jonathan “JP” Platz, launched MADE in 2012 with the streetwear apparel line selling in just a few pop-up shops. Early partnerships…
Smart city leader: Can technology predict deadly shooters before it’s too late?
A smart city is a safe city, Herb Sih said. And technology can help. “If you don’t have safety, you don’t have anything,” said Sih, managing partner at Think Big Partners, one of the key collaborators in Kansas City’s $15.7 million public-private Smart City initiative. Having grown up in St. Louis, Sih said he has…