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
San Francisco FinTech firm bringing 150 new jobs to KC; TrueAccord invests $1.34M
A Silicon Valley startup founded by tech veterans announced today a new 12,000-square-foot shared services operation in Lenexa, pledging 150 new jobs as part of the $1.34 million TrueAccord investment. Selecting the Kansas City metro for the project followed a thorough nationwide search, said Sheila Monroe, chief operating officer of TrueAccord, an automated debt recovery platform…
Young brains rewired by non-stop screen time in classrooms, neurotherapist tells district
[Editor’s note: The following is part of a limited Startland series, exploring parent advocates’ objections to 1:1 technology initiatives, which typically put a tablet device in the hands of each student and are popularly used as classroom innovation models across Kansas City and the nation.] A rise in ADHD diagnosis and increased risk of suicide…
Mother stresses lack of parental consent for school devices amid privacy, development worries
[Editor’s note: The following is part of a limited Startland series, exploring parent advocates’ objections to 1:1 technology initiatives, which typically put a tablet device in the hands of each student and are popularly used as classroom innovation models across Kansas City and the nation.] Digital dangers are lurking in Shawnee Mission classrooms, as schools…
Questioning 1:1 initiatives: Tech devices don’t equal innovation, disillusioned parents argue
[Editor’s note: The following is part of a limited Startland series, exploring parent advocates’ objections to 1:1 technology initiatives, which typically put a tablet device in the hands of each student and are popularly used as classroom innovation models across Kansas City and the nation.] A $20 million investment in tech-forward learning environments for the…