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
Do The Right Thing: Tate Williams plans to sell his startup (but he’s not looking for an exit)
The following profile features one of five finalists for the “Do The Right Thing” social impact pitch competition organized by the KC BizCare Office, Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City and Startland News. Finalist features will be published throughout the week. Click here to read more features. Click here to vote for your favorite finalist…
New owners for Bo Lings’ Plaza location; here’s what the beloved restaurant is adding to its menu
Change is on the way for a longtime staple of the Kansas City food scene: Bo Lings — the Chinese restaurant chain founded by Bo “Richard” Ng and Far “Theresa” Ling in 1981 — has partnered with W.VinZant Restaurants to reimagine its Country Club Plaza location with more contemporary and expansive Asian cuisine. The new…
Prospect KC brews coffee bar collab with Messenger inside iconic downtown KC library
A reimagined coffee shop — closed during the pandemic — returns to full strength Aug. 7 thanks to a menu of pastries, sandwiches, and salads prepared by The Prospect KC culinary students in a live-training environment, as well as drinks and coolers crafted with Messenger Coffee Co. The 1,350-square-foot coffee bar and café — dubbed…
Cookies have taken over Sweet Kiss, but this mother-daughter brigadeiro shop has even more baked inside
For Jessica Harris, a brigadeiro offers a taste of home, she said, and for almost a decade, she’s been sharing those Brazilian truffles with Kansas City. When the Sweet Kiss Brigadeiro co-founder relocated to the City of Fountains in 1996 — following her sister who moved the year before to play basketball for Penn Valley…